Starlit Sky 5: Burning Moon
by warriorfreak
Summary: Sequal to No Stars Shadowpaw is a misfit, unlike the other apprentices. Then Shadowpaw meets It, a strong and very strange shecat. On Shadowpaw's assesment, she turns around Shadowpaw's life forever Sequal: The Search for Nightwind C 2008 warriorfreak
1. Chapter 1: Stacy and Schmitt

**Sorry I didn't send this out earlier, I just didn't have the memory stick. See, I write my stories on one computer, then transfer it on a memory stick to the other computer, which has internet. Sorry about that! Also, I couldn't get internet…And thanks to Steeltalon for making sure I got 35 reviews! You get to find out what Skypaw's warrior name is! (I will tell you as soon as you review) Whoever reviews first to this chapter gets Nightpaw's and Shadowpaw's warrior names! Now…here is the sequel you have all been waiting for…Burning Moon, in the new POVs! **

**_Chapter 1, Stacy and Schmitt_**

**ThunderClan**

**Leader-**_ Ravenstar_- dark tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes, apprentice, Skypaw

**Deputy- **_Brightheart_**- **white she-cat with grey patches, apprentice, Leafpaw

**Medicine cat- **_Leaftail_- light tabby she-cat with amber eyes, apprentice, Darkpaw

**Warriors- **_Ashfur-_ smoky grey tom with blue eyes, apprentice, Shadowpaw

_Thornclaw_**- **golden tom with yellow eyes, apprentice Rockpaw

_Shrewtail_**- **grey and brown tom with amber eyes, apprentice, Flyingpaw

_Snowfeather_**- **white she-cat with silver flecks, blue eyes, apprentice, Seapaw

_Squirreltalon_- ginger she-cat with light green eyes, apprentice, Shalepaw

_Birchoak_**- **brown tom with yellow eyes, apprentice, Nightpaw

_Hollysky_- dark tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes, apprentice, Flamepaw

_Dustpelt_**- **big dusty brown tom, light blue eyes, apprentice, Mudpaw

_Sorreltail_**- **light tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

_Whiteflower-_milky white she-cat with light blue eyes

**Apprentices- **_Skypaw_**- **fluffy white she-cat with odd violet eyes

_Leafpaw_**- **white she-cat with dark ginger patches, amber eyes

_Darkpaw_- dark brown tom with blue eyes

_Shadowpaw_**- **shiny, skinny, sleek black she-cat with black-green eyes

_Rockpaw_- dark grey tom with strong legs and dark blue eyes

_Flyingpaw_- light grey tom with yellow eyes

_Seapaw_**- **pretty silver-blue she-cat with deep blue eyes

_Shalepaw_- grey she-cat with yellow eyes

_Nightpaw_**- **thick furred black she-cat with ice-blue eyes

_Flamepaw_- dark ginger she-cat with yellow eyes

_Mudpaw_- dark tabby she-cat with loose skin around neck and colorless eyes

**Queens- **_Ferncloud_**- **white and grey she-cat with blue eyes

**Kits- **_Yarrowki**t**_**- **light tortoiseshell she-cat with light blue eyes

**_Hunterkit_- **light tan tom with blue eyes

Other animals- Two speechless black cats that are nameless and have colorless eyes

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_Two shapes opened the door_ of their house and slipped into the forest. One carried a large bag; the other was walking behind, her hands waving in the air.

"Professor Schmitt!" she cried.

"Quite, Stacy!" the man hissed under his breath. He dropped to his hands and knees, still clutching the bag.

"I don't think its right!" Stacy whispered in an angry voice.

"I don't care what you think," The man, Schmitt growled, "If we want to get those cats out of the forest, we have to do it."

"Maybe I don't want them out of the forest," Stacy whispered.

"We have to get them out of here," Schmitt hissed, "So they won't hunt so many squirrels. Then the squirrels will be there, and I can cut apart their brains to see if they have the nerve fibers that I want. If they have the nerve fibers I want, then they can speak English."

Stacy shook. "You can't cut apart squirrels! It's mean! And you cant' let that…thing," she gestured to the bag, "Kill the cats."

"I don't want to burden you further," Schmitt whispered, "But I also will take back one cat for testing. And that cat will be young."

Schmitt reached into the bag and pulled out a dark shape.

"No!" screamed Stacy.

"Shut up!" barked professor Schmitt.

He left the black shape on the ground, and touched it gently, then he stood up and walked away, Stacy behind him, crying all the way.

Meanwhile, the dark shaped prowled through the underbrush, its eyes occasionally flashing in a sinister way.

**What was that thing? Review for Nightpaw's and Shadowpaw's warrior names! **


	2. Chapter 2: Morning

_**Chapter 2, Morning**_

_The sun was ready to_ rise. Cats slipped out of their dens, heading drowsily over to the fresh-kill pile.

"Skypaw!" shouted an apprentice happily, bounding over to a long haired white she-cat.

"Hi Leafpaw," The long haired white cat answered. The two friends touched noses.

Another apprentice emerged from the den, stretching one black leg at a time. Another black apprentice followed her, but didn't stretch. Instead, she lay down at the entrance.

The other black apprentice came over and sat by her, her blue eyes narrowed with tiredness.

"Hello, Shadowpaw," She greeted the apprentice lying down, "Did you get enough sleep?"

That was how the morning always began. The apprentice with ice-blue eyes, Nightpaw, would greet Shadowpaw, who always lay down out side of the den with those words.

"No," Shadowpaw would always answer.

Nightpaw stood up and walked over to the fresh-kill pile.

Shadowpaw watched her pick a squirrel and start eating it. She placed her head back onto her paws, her black tail twitching occasionally.

She had come to think that here, right out of the apprentices den, was her 'spot.' She was the only one that could sit there, and it was hers.

But there was always one apprentice, named Flyingpaw, who seemed to admire her. Not that she admired him. She had never had any feelings for any tom, and, as she thought of it, never would.

Flyingpaw emerged from the apprentices den, stretched, curling his tail over his back, fetched a vole from the fresh-kill pile, then walked over to Shadowpaw.

"Want some vole?" he asked, pushing it with one paw.

Shadowpaw shook her head.

Flyingpaw finished the vole, then walked over to Shadowpaw, stepping right into her spot.

Instantly, Shadowpaw was on her feet. She slashed a paw down his face, claws unsheathed, then, leaped at him, teeth snapping close to his neck.

Flyingpaw jumped out of her spot, then glared at Shadowpaw.

Leafpaw, alerted by all the commotion, walked over. She sat down, about a fox-length from her brother.

"Hey dumbbutt!" She shouted at Flyingpaw, "Can't you see she just wants to be left alone? Can't you get that through your thick skull?"

Flyingpaw growled and flicked his ears.

"Shadowpaw," Leafpaw mewed, flicking her tail at Shadowpaw, "Is a cat of rare quality. Most cats chatter as much as you do. Most cats sleep as much as you do. Shadowpaw doesn't. As I said before, she is a cat of rare quality."

Shadowpaw flicked her ears and stood up. She had no friends, and it seemed like she never would. Not that Shadowpaw really cared, of course.

Nightpaw licked her lips, tasting the remains of the squirrel she had just eaten. She walked over to Shadowpaw, who had just left the camp.

"Where are you going?" She asked the black apprentice.

Shadowpaw turned around and sat down, her tail flicking angrily.

"Outside."

"Oh," Nightpaw mewed. "Can I come with you?"

"No," Shadowpaw growled.

"Then let's go!" Nightpaw yowled, charging out of camp.


	3. Chapter 3: It

_**Chapter 3, It**_

_Shadowpaw bared her teeth in_ a snarl and spun around, rushing out of camp with a hyper Nightpaw just behind.

Shadowpaw ran toward Tall pines, not exactly sure why. She sat down underneath a tree.

Nightpaw sat down heavily, panting hard. Her ice blue eyes were wide with excitement.

"This is great!" Nightpaw meowed. "We can run all around, without our mentors." She paused, ears perked. "Did you hear that?"

Shadowpaw nodded, and both apprentices stopped in silence.

A twig cracked. Something was walking through the forest, but not doing a good job of keeping quiet.

"Peek around that tree," Nightpaw whispered to Shadowpaw. Shadowpaw crept foreword, and slowly, twisted her head around the tree they were hiding behind.

She saw a cat. It was a small dark brown tabby; almost black with…She couldn't see its eyes.

She pulled back. "It's a cat," She whispered to Nightpaw.

Now they both looked around the tree at the cat. Its head turned slowly…and it saw them.

Shadowpaw and Nightpaw froze. Shadowpaw watched with hot green eyes as it took a step toward them.

"We weren't spying!" Nightpaw blurted out. She came out from behind the tree, and straightened up. "I'm Nightpaw and that's Shadowpaw. We live in ThunderClan. We're wildcats."

The cat turned its head in a tiny motion and fixed its eyes on Nightpaw.

Shadowpaw was looking at its eyes. They had no color. They were just empty.

"Where do you live?" the cat asked finally, in a stiff, almost fake, voice.

"In a camp," Nightpaw answered.

"Take me to your camp," the cat mewed. Its blank eyes glittered with a strange ambition. Then suddenly, they flashed. It was like a bolt of blue light shot through them. Then it was gone.

Shadowpaw's pelt pricked with something she didn't understand.

"We can't take you to our camp," Nightpaw mewed.

The cat looked at her, then without warning, it leaped at Nightpaw, snarling, "Take me to your camp NOW!"

When it landed on Nightpaw, the apprentice flew high into the air, then landed on the ground with a thump.

Instantly, Nightpaw leapt up again, and lashed a paw out. The other cat ducked, then hit Nightpaw in the side. The apprentice flew far away once again.

Nightpaw staggered to her feet, her head spinning. "Could at least tell me what your name is?" She growled.

The cat's ears pricked. She looked confused. "I believe I was called It."

"What kind of name is that?" Nightpaw growled. Shadowpaw, still behind the tree, flicked her tail, then walked into the clearing.

"Hello," The cat mewed, still not smiling.

Shadowpaw sat down and wrapped her long tail around her paws. "What do you want?" She asked.

The cat's blank eyes flashed bright blue again.

_This is wrong, _Shadowpaw thought, _there is something wrong with this cat._

"I want you to take me home with you."

"I guess we could arrange that," Nightpaw mewed quietly and Shadowpaw felt the ground jolt beneath her paws.

XXX

Skypaw stretched again, wearing the tiredness out of her limbs. She stretched her tail over her back.

She gave her tail a few licks, coughing as the long fluffy hairs got caught in her mouth.

Leafpaw, who had been chatting with Seapaw, Skypaw's sister, came trotting over, smiling.

"I'll never forget the way you try to clean your tail. You can never do it without getting a hairball."

Skypaw growled and shook her head, making the white ruff around her head fluff out. She sat down, bringing her two short, stocky white legs close to each other. (AN: I have a lot of part-Persians, so I know what their like.)

Leafpaw smiled more, and chatted about the weather, and how she smelled snow, when Darkpaw padded over.

Skypaw felt a rush of warmth pass over her skin, and she smiled, feeling stupid.

"Why are you guys talking about fur?" Darkpaw growled, his tongue as sharp as thorns.

Leafpaw rolled over on her back, paws in the air, batting lazily at his face.

"We're she-cats, retard," She mewed playfully.

Darkpaw snorted. He gave Skypaw a long and intense look, before standing up and walking over to his mentor, Leaftail. When he passed, Skypaw felt his dark grey fur brush hers, and her whole body tingled.

"Where are Shadowpaw and Nightpaw?" Leafpaw asked.

Skypaw looked up. "I don't know."

**Well, not the best cliffy. Please review. I beg you! Pl-ease!**


	4. Chapter 4: Understanding

_**Chapter 4, understanding**_

_Shadowpaw felt her head spin_ then blinked, shocked at what Nightpaw had just said.

Nightpaw stood up, and led It through the forest, to the camp.

Shadowpaw finally stood up and followed.

Nightpaw and It were just walking into camp when Shadowpaw caught up with them. Nightpaw headed to Ravenstar's den, But Shadowpaw slipped over to her 'spot' by the apprentices den, and lay down, her head on one paw.

"Hi Shadowpaw," Skypaw greeted, coming over and sitting beside her, just outside of her spot.

Shadowpaw gave a warning growl, then relaxed.

"Shadowpaw," Skypaw mewed, "I…I have an odd feeling when I see Darkpaw. I think I like him. I think he likes me too."

"I don't understand toms," Shadowpaw growled, not even lifting her head.

Skypaw rolled over on her back, sending a wash of white hairs at Shadowpaw. "Flyingpaw likes you," she meowed.

"I don't understand toms," Shadowpaw repeated. "And they don't understand me. They don't interest me. End of story."

"Many toms understand you," Skypaw mewed.

"Nobody understands me!" Shadowpaw shouted, getting to her paws. "Nobody understands me, and toms especially don't!"

She turned around and lunged over to her mentor, Ashfur, who was talking with Squirreltalon.

And then it started. At first she wasn't aware, then she was. Horribly.

She leaped foreword, her claws scoring deep into Ashfur's chest. He shrieked with pain and dived back.

Shadowpaw was aware of what she was doing now, but she didn't try to stop herself.

Then she grabbed and pinned down by Ravenstar. She was dragged to the medicine cats den.

She lay down on the hard stone ground, letting her tail fall over her nose.

Ravenstar looked down at her, her eyes wide with concern.

"Why did you attack Ashfur?"

"I don't know why." She mewed. She heard the sound of Leaftail walk away.

"Nobody understands me," Shadowpaw growled. It wasn't like she wanted cats to understand her, of that she was angry about it. She was just stating it.

Ravenstar smiled. Her daughter was, for the first time, experiencing an emotion. Anger.

"Where is It?" Shadowpaw asked.

"I let her join the Clan," Ravenstar smiled.

"Her eyes. They flashed." Shadowpaw growled.

"I didn't see it," The leader mewed.

"I want to see her," Shadowpaw mewed.

Ravenstar disappeared out of the den, then reappeared a moment later with It. She then backed away with her head bowed.

It looked down at Shadowpaw, her eyes blank.

"Shadowpaw," It mewed, "You are very interesting. To bad you will have to-,"

The dark she-cat was interrupted by a yowling as Leafpaw exploded into the den.

"Shut up!" Shadowpaw snapped.

"What…I…" Leafpaw ran foreword, and smashed right into It. She fell back, shaking her head.

"You're hard," She meowed. "Have you been eating to much-,"

"Leafpaw," Shadowpaw snarled, "Shut up and get out of here."

Leafpaw gave her a look of deep disgust, then padded out of the den.

"What are you?" Shadowpaw asked It.

It smiled, a terrible look on the cat. "You will find out later, I promise. But then…then it will all end in a whirl of strength." She smiled again.

She turned and left then, And Shadowpaw stayed there for the rest of the day. Then, when Leaftail was asleep, she padded out of the den and looked around.

All around, swiftly and silently, snow was falling at a steady pace.

**So…how did you like chapter four? Does anyone have any idea what It REALLY is? I also need suggestions for romances with the main characters, Shadowpaw, Nightpaw, Skypaw and Leafpaw. Mostly for Leafpaw and Nightpaw. You can have it be from other Clans too. REVIEW! I like to know that readers exist, even if it's one word. **


	5. Chapter 5: Romance of different kinds

_**Chapter 5, romance of different kinds**_

_Leafpaw rolled over on her_ back, her paws in the air, smiling. She was warm and full in the apprentices den, and nothing could make her happier. Skypaw was at her side, licking a paw.

"That Shadowpaw is a nasty lump!" Skypaw grumbled, pulling at tufts of hair in her paw.

"Shut up, Skypaw," Leafpaw mewed. "She's just not all chatty like me." She smiled, then issued some boring talk.

Skypaw swatted her playfully. "Shut up yourself." She purred.

XXX

Shadowpaw looked around, blinking as little white snow flakes touched her eyes. She hurried through the camp, her paws making dimples in the inch-deep snow. She ducked into the apprentices den.

Flyingpaw looked up at her, then turned away with his head bowed, murmuring to himself, "You wish."

Nightpaw was asleep with a paw over her nose. Shadowpaw glanced at her. The den was packed with apprentices, no room for her to sleep alone.

Flyingpaw scooted over, giving her a tiny bit. She ignored him.

She flopped down by the entrance, where her front paws and face her sticking out. She winced at the cold, but eventually accepted it.

She waited for the night, her green eyes alert. She never slept at night, couldn't even remember ever doing it. She didn't understand why, just like she didn't understand toms.

Slowly the night when by. She felt fur brush her pelt, and saw that Rockpaw had slipped past her. She looked up at him, and he looked back, then continued walking.

Skypaw walked out of the den next, and turned around to face Shadowpaw, who had snow on her nose. Shadowpaw stood up, shaking it off, but Skypaw was already laughing at her.

"Don't laugh at me!" Shadowpaw spat.

Skypaw appeared not to listen. She continued laughing.

Shadowpaw loosened her muscles and sat down. Skypaw, deciding that laughing at her was boring, trotted off to her mentor.

Clouds covered the sky, and there was about three or four inches of snow on the ground. It was still falling.

Nightpaw squeezed out from the den and looked around. The cold weather seemed nice, so she decided to take a walk in the forest.

She walked slowly. The forest was silent, no birds sang, they were all packed away, cozy and warm.

She realized that she was near the ShadowClan border, and stopped, deciding to turn around and head back to camp.

She was about to turn around when the leaves rustled and Flyingpaw appeared.

"Hello," Nightpaw mewed.

"Er…hi, I just saw you leaving and decided to follow you. You are a nice sight to follow."

He stood up and waked over to her, then sat, down flicking his tail on her nose.

Nightpaw rolled on her back, batting at his face with her paws. She loved playing.

"Couldn't we talk?" He asked. She instantly sat up.

"Do you like Shadowpaw?" he asked.

"I don't know. She's sort of…quiet."

"And pretty," he said.

"I don't find that in her. You're off to a bad start, Flyingpaw. Go after Skypaw of something."

"She's not…She's just not like Shadowpaw. Or you," he added.

Nightpaw rolled her eyes. "I won't fall for it."

"We could have about three litters. Really help out the Clan."

"No, Flyingpaw," Nightpaw mewed.

"But don't you see I love you?" he asked. Nightpaw let out her breath. She stopped and calmed down. Then she shouted, "No, Flyingpaw, it's not going to happen!"

Flyingpaw sighed. "I need a she-cat." He stated.

"You're young. Just wait. Someone will come along," Nightpaw said, licking a paw.

"Like you?" he asked.

"No. Like Shadowpaw." Suddenly she realized what she had said, and she wanted to take it back, but it was to late.

"You think I should pad after her, then?

"Well…"

"I think I will!" with a rustle of the snow, Flyingpaw disappeared.

Nightpaw rolled her eyes.

XXX

Shadowpaw walked over to her spot and lay down, laying her chin on one paw. Not long later, Rockpaw walked over.

"Hi," he said.

Shadowpaw didn't say anything.

"Want to share a vole?"

"No," Shadowpaw mewed simply.

"Want to hunt together?" Rockpaw asked.

"No," Shadowpaw answered.

"Do you want to do _anything_?"

"Yes," Shadowpaw answered, "Lie here and watch the world go by."

Rockpaw entered her spot's perimeter. Shadowpaw expected herself to spring up and attack him, but she didn't, for some reason that she didn't understand.

Rockpaw sat down beside her, and for a few minutes they both watched the cats appear and disappear in and out of camp, tracking snow all around.

Finally Rockpaw let out a big sigh and lay down beside her, his eyes closed, his head on his paws.

Shadowpaw was very aware of the closeness of their pelts. They were almost brushing. She scooted and inch away. One of Rockpaw's eyelids fluttered.

She could feel the blood pounding in her ears. She felt odd, not like she usually did. She was staring at Rockpaw's face, hard. To hard. She never did that. It wasn't right.

He opened his eyes, stood up, then lay down again. Shadowpaw noticed that he had lay down closer this time. She scooted over and inch. A little later, he stood up and lay down again, until Shadowpaw felt the wall of the apprentices den hit her pelt.

Then he stood up again, and lay down. His fur was defiantly brushing hers, and one paw was touching one of hers.

And Shadowpaw didn't move. She didn't understand why. She just closed her eyes.

**Eh-he. Random pairing, I know. Sorta silly chapter. I really need pairings for Nightpaw and Leafpaw! Tell me one in a review, please! THX for Aviation, (Is that how you spell it?) the ONLY one who reviewed! A Special plushy set of Ravenstar and family to you! (I also don't know if you spell plushy with a 'y' or an 'ie' at the end)**


	6. Chapter 6: Flyingpaw

_**Chapter 6, Flyingpaw**_

_Shadowpaw opened her eyes. Her_ whole pelt tingled. She saw that Rockpaw's eyes were cracked open, and he was looking at her.

She sat up, and so did he. She looked out at the camp, where snow was still falling.

"Snow is pretty." She mewed.

"Yep," Rockpaw meowed, but he wasn't looking at the snow. He was looking at Shadowpaw.

Suddenly Flyingpaw dashed into camp. He looked around, spotted Shadowpaw, and plowed over to her.

"You know," Flyingpaw mused to Rockpaw. "Have you ever looked at Shalepaw? She's really pretty."

"Then go over to her," Rockpaw mewed.

Flyingpaw smiled. "Eh, no." he was saved as Shalepaw plowed over to them.

"Hi Rockpaw," she mewed, flicking her tail at the bottom of his chin. "Want to hunt, or share some prey?"

Rockpaw looked at the pretty she-cat. She _was _pretty. "I'll right, let's hunt."

"Great," Shalepaw mewed, walking away.

"Let's hunt," Flyingpaw commanded Shadowpaw.

"No." Shadowpaw growled. Why did she…feel…angry at Shalepaw?

She told her conscience to shut up, then stood up and left camp. She had to do something useful.

She passed Nightpaw on the way out of the snowy ravine. The black she-cat looked worried. "Flyingpaw's after you," she murmured. She disappeared into camp.

Shadowpaw let out a big breath. She sat down. Her green eyes glittered harshly.

"I'm hungry." She stated.

"Thanks," she muttered as, without looking, her paw went out and snapped the neck of the vole that had appeared beside her.

She smirked a little bit, the closest she ever got to a smile. Her eyes continued to sparkle.

She heard the reeds rustle beside her. She didn't turn her head.

Flyingpaw walked out of them with a shower of snow. He promptly sat down next to her.

"Why are your eyes sparkling?" he asked her.

She looked at him, her eyes veering back to normal. He stared at her with yellow eyes round.

"Rockpaw's a jerk." He said.

"Yeah he is," Shadowpaw agreed.

"I'm definitely not one," Flyingpaw said airily.

"Yes you are," Shadowpaw said.

Flyingpaw sighed hard. "I need a she-cat." He stated.

Shadowpaw made no answer, but her eyes glittered.

She heard the grass rustle and Squirreltalon appeared, her pelt flecked with snow.

"Oh, Flyingpaw. You've found a she-cat."

"Yep," Flyingpaw said, and continued talking about random things to mother, allowing Shadowpaw a great deal of time to quietly get up and leave.

She passed Ravenstar's den on the way into camp. She could hear the dark tabby she-cat talking to someone.

"I left Lunapaw on the uplands. I want to find her body."

"It is probably long gone," said the other cat, "Forget it, Ravenstar."

Shadowpaw narrowed her eyes. Who was Lunapaw?

"I'm going to set out a patrol, Brightheart. You are going to lead it. I don't think Shadowpaw remembers her sister. She sort of well…Something happened on the Thunderpath that one night. So take her on the patrol."

Shadowpaw stiffened. Her face darkened in anger. She had a sister, and nobody had told her? She growled.

Ravenstar walked out of the den, smiling, with Brightheart behind her.

"Hello, Shadowpaw." The leader greeted.

Shadowpaw dipped her head then sat down. So did Ravenstar.

Shadowpaw leapt at the dark she-cat, pinning her down with her claws inches away from Ravenstar's neck.

"Tell me who my sister is right now!" she spat through gritted teeth.

"Shadowpaw!" Ravenstar shouted, trying to get up. Shadowpaw had unbelievable strength.

"Lunapaw." Spat the dark tabby. "She's your sister. She died on a night. She was killed by a well…an enemy warrior."

"Fascinating," Shadowpaw growled. "Now go tell Shalepaw. She's my sister, isn't she?"

"No…" Ravenstar's brow wrinkled. "I mean yes, totally yes! I'll go tell her now!"

Shadowpaw's eyes glared down into Ravenstar's amber ones. The yellow lights were filled with panic. Why?

"I don't look anything like that soft hearted white cat called Whiteflower. So, is she my mother? If you don't tell me I'll feed your neck to the crows."

"Stop this, Shadowpaw!" Ravenstar barked.

Suddenly, hard paws landed on Shadowpaw's back. She felt herself hit in the side, and she was flung far. She hit the stump by the apprentices den, and her sight blurred over. She looked up, and she saw It standing beside Ravenstar, grinning.

And her chest wasn't moving. And that meant that she wasn't breathing.

Suddenly, the whole world turned upside down, and two blurry cats appeared in front of Ravenstar and It.

Rockpaw and Shalepaw.

Shadowpaw felt something inside her burst, and she felt so tired. She had never been tired before. She couldn't keep her eyes open. They closed, and right before she dropped out, she saw, once again in her mind, Rockpaw and Shalepaw, walking with their pelts brushing.

**Well yes, do the usual and review. If you don't like Shadowpaw, let me tell you that she matures out a lot in the other books, yay! So, do you think she should find out about her parents? And who should first? Nightpaw or Shadowpaw?? TELL ME IN A REVIEW PLEASE!**


	7. Chapter 7: Skypaw and Darkpaw

_**Chapter 7, Skypaw and Darkpaw**_

_Shadowpaw's eyes cracked open. The_ world swam into view, and she realized she had been sleeping.

She had never slept before. She felt much more alert now.

She felt her head throb in pain. She stood up and saw stars dancing before her.

Not far away It had stopped smiling, and was staring around blankly. The Clan was pressing around her, only a few cats, actually, and murmuring things into her ear.

It walked over to Shadowpaw, her face still blank.

"I am now an apprentice to Dustpelt," she mewed without any emotion. "They call me Mudpaw."

Shadowpaw looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Get over here," she growled.

As if being pulled by an imaginary paw, Mudpaw was yanked to her side.

Shadowpaw grabbed her with one paw on her neck. She snarled into Mudpaw's ear.

"Don't ever attack me again," she hissed. Shadowpaw hit her in the side with an unsheathed paw.

Mudpaw didn't move. Then, she suddenly whisked out a paw and slammed it into Shadowpaw's ribs. She flew through the air and bashed into the ground. It felt like all the bones had cracked into three pieces.

She glared up at Mudpaw, who was standing a few fox-lengths away.

The almost-black cat turned around and walked away with her head high to talk with the other apprentices.

Shadowpaw stood up and walked over, her whip-like tail swishing behind her. She nosed her way into the apprentices den, where everyone was sitting around eating and talking. Nightpaw was alone, but as Shadowpaw watched, Mudpaw came over and sat down in front of her.

Shadowpaw let her lip curl away from her teeth and sat down by herself.

Shalepaw and Rockpaw were sharing a rabbit. They finished and lay down with their pelts rubbing, faces close together.

Shadowpaw steered her gaze away from the two.

XXX

Skypaw finished her rabbit and stood up. She entered the snowy camp. She glanced over at the medicine cats den and saw Leaftail walking around with herbs in her mouth. Then Darkpaw came into view and her heart pounded.

She wanted to turn her head away, but she didn't. He looked over and saw her.

He mewed something into Leaftail's ear and padded over.

"Did you want something?" he asked.

"No I didn't…I mean I did…yeah I was like wondering…" She felt her face warm up. She was a careful, dignified cat. When did she go on yammering like this? "I was wondering…Where is Leafpaw?" she asked suddenly. It was the first cat that came to her head.

"Don't ask me," Darkpaw mewed. He looked into her violet eyes. "Are you sick?"

"No…" She suddenly had a great idea. "Just a tom I was thinking about, that's all."

"Who? Rockpaw? Flyingpaw?" he asked.

"Neither of those," Skypaw mewed. Then she realized what she said. There were no other toms that were apprentices other then Darkpaw and Rockpaw and Flyingpaw.

Darkpaw's eyebrow twitched.

"It was Dustpelt," she mewed. Then she felt like hitting herself over the head. Dustpelt was like…four years old, when she was like nine or ten moons! Anyway…he already had a mate.

Darkpaw's eyebrow twitched again.

"Isn't he a bit…old for you? And he already had Ferncloud..."

Skypaw wished a badger would come and throw her in the river. "I'll never like another tom. Maybe I'll become deputy or something but never like a tom."

Her mind made up, Skypaw turned and walked away. After concealing herself behind some nettles she looked back at Darkpaw. He looked sad, but about what?

XXX

Leafpaw chased her tail in the middle of camp, trying to catch the white tip. It was another of those silly games she played, that made no sense to her or others.

She saw her brother, Flyingpaw dash after Shadowpaw, who had just left the camp and sighed. Why did he think that Shadowpaw liked him?

She saw Rockpaw and Shalepaw appear. Then she saw Seapaw talking to Birchoak. He was looking at her with entranced eyes. She sighed.

_There goes everyone, off with their future mates, _she thought. No toms for her. The only cat that wasn't her brother that was still an apprentice was Darkpaw, and he was a medicine cat. She almost laughed.

Then she saw that Skypaw was sitting in front of him, her ears flicking. Then she walked away, her face red. Leafpaw looked away for a second then realized what she had just seen.

"Huh?" she asked, shaking her head. Did Skypaw…like Darkpaw? It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. It was awful. It was against the warrior code. It couldn't happen.

She needed to talk to Skypaw. Leafpaw walked over to where the fluffy white she-cat was crouching behind some nettles.

"Skypaw?" Leafpaw asked.

"StarClan…" the white cat moaned, "I sounded like such and idiot. He hates me now…"

Leafpaw instantly knew what she was talking about.

"Skypaw, he's a medicine cat. He can't do that."

"I don't like him!" Skypaw shouted she jumped out of the ferns and leaped away, looking back at Leafpaw.

"At least I'm trying to find out what tom is right for me! We'll be warriors sooner then you think, Leafpaw, and we should think about toms!"

Leafpaw cringed, but not from what Skypaw had said, but what was about to happen. Suddenly, Skypaw crashed right into Darkpaw. They both tripped and landed on their sides, their faces an inch apart.

_**Skypaw's POV…**_

"Oh!" Skypaw mewed, her eyes going round. She scrambled to her feet, and backed away a few paces. Darkpaw stood up and walked toward her, until once again, they were very close.

"It's okay," he mewed. "Want to hunt?" he asked after an awkward pause.

"Oh…I would like that."

Darkpaw walked out of the camp with a slow pace. Skypaw followed, stepping in his paw steps.

"Skypaw-," he mewed when they were deep in the forest.

"Yes?"

"I…"

Skypaw didn't want him to say it. "There's a vole over there," she mewed loudly, then crouched in the dirt.

She walked slowly, making sure she didn't step on a twig. Darkpaw would think of her as an idiot for eternity.

She had just jumped, her long white fur flowing behind her, when something thundered into view then stopped, sending sprays of snow and mud all over. The vole disappeared.

"Hey!" Skypaw shouted. She looked up, and right into the huge blue eyes of an even bigger beast.

Or was it a dog? Quickly, Skypaw backed away as it showed its teeth. It had pale grey fur, darker on the back.

Darkpaw snarled and leaped up beside Skypaw.

The huge animal lashed a paw at them, sending them both flying. Skypaw felt herself thrown through the air. She landed on top of Darkpaw and quickly got off.

The dog came again. It bounded at them, and its paws came at them, ready to crush them to death. Skypaw scrambled out of the way, and the claws just scathed her tail. She ran under the dog's belly, and heard a shriek of pain from behind her.

"Darkpaw!" she screeched, trying to look back, but the beating tail of the dog was in her way.

She ran around the side of the animal and reached Darkpaw, where he lay gasping for breath, his shoulder open and bleeding. The dog glared, and raised its paw. Skypaw didn't move, she was going to shield Darkpaw with her life.

The paw came down, faster and faster, then suddenly…

Everything stopped.

**THX for all who reviewed! Please review to this! **


	8. Chapter 8: More Weirdness

_**Chapter 8, More Weirdness**_

_It seemed like the world_ slowed down. Something was running toward Skypaw and Darkpaw, and she felt paws shove the apprentice from behind Skypaw. She leaped away, and the world sped back up.

Skypaw kept running until she stopped, and looked back. A white and ginger apprentice was clinging to the dog's shoulder by her teeth.

"Leafpaw!" Skypaw screeched as the apprentice closed at the dog's flank.

Suddenly, the dog shook the apprentice off, and she hit a nearby stump. Her body slumped to the ground.

Skypaw ran over; she felt like the ground beneath her paws didn't exist. She reached her friend.

Blood tricked from Leafpaw's forehead.

"I saved you," She murmured, and Skypaw saw that her eyes were filled with tears.

"I…" Skypaw began, but had no words.

Leafpaw staggered to her feet. "Where is Darkpaw?" she asked.

"I don't know," Skypaw mewed. Just his name made her heart pound.

"I never did tell you…" Leafpaw muttered.

"What?"

"I…I have feelings for him too."

Skypaw raised her head. She didn't say anything. She walked over to the dark apprentice.

"Skypaw?" he asked, and staggered to his feet; Skypaw let him lean on her shoulder. She helped him walk toward the camp. Leafpaw's amber eyes watched them the whole way, and Skypaw wondered what she was feeling.

XXX

Nightpaw was bored. The sun was beating down on her face, the clouds had cleared. The snow was already melting.

She walked over to the apprentices den and meowed lazily inside, "Does anybody want to do anything?"

She heard a tiny mew from inside and peeked into the den. Only Rockpaw and Shalepaw were in there.

"Oh, hi," Nightpaw mewed with boredom etching her features. Really she was shocked. Just yesterday she had seen Rockpaw and Shadowpaw lying outside of the apprentices den with their pelts brushing.

_Weird, _She thought. "Do you want to play, Shalepaw?"

"No," Shalepaw stuck her nose in the air. "I'm enjoying myself."

Nightpaw wrinkled her own nose and padded away.

She spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing, and wondering why Shadowpaw wasn't in camp, when Skypaw padded in, with Darkpaw leaning on her shoulder and Leafpaw behind them. All were covered in bloody wounds.

"What happened here?" Leaftail demanded, squeezing out of her den. She rushed over to her apprentice, Darkpaw, and pulled him back.

Skypaw watched him go, then padded off toward the fresh-kill pile.

"Where is Mudpaw?" Nightpaw asked.

Skypaw flicked her tail at the leaders den.

The dark tabby was sitting near Ravenstar's den, and Nightpaw padded over.

"Did Ravenstar ask you to guard her den?" She asked, making sure to keep her tone neutral.

"I can do what I like," Mudpaw sneered, or would have sneered, apart from the fact that her face didn't move, and her voice was like she was stating a fact.

Nightpaw's ice-blue eyes glittered.

"Is Ravenstar in there?" she asked.

"Yes, I am her faithful companion now. I will die for her."

Nightpaw searched her face. Her dark, empty eyes showed nothing, no sign of emotion. They never did.

"Do you know where Shadowpaw is?" She asked carefully.

"No," Mudpaw said flatly.

Nightpaw turned around and walked away, shaking her head slightly at Mudpaw's weirdness.



Skypaw opened her eyes. It was the middle of the night, judging by the height of the moon. She looked around. She just _had _to see Darkpaw. She walked out of the apprentices den.

She ran across the camp, swiftly and silently. Leaftail was off finding herbs, which she often did at night. Skypaw stopped outside the medicine cats den and listened, her heart hammering as fast as a dragonfly beat its wings. She was glad Leaftail was gone, so she could be alone with Darkpaw, but she also noted that she would only have a limited amount of time, Leaftail had been gone for hours, and she would be back soon.

Crouching down, she wiggled her way through the ferns until she was in the den.

"Darkpaw?" she mumbled into the darkness.

"Skypaw," Came a breathless whisper, "I was waiting for you."

"You were?" Skypaw asked, walking foreword. Moonlight spilled out of a crack in the ferns, bathing them both in silvery light.

Darkpaw was lying on a bed of grass, but when he saw her he stood up, putting little weight on his injured paw.

She met his dark blue eyes. His were glittering.

"Skypaw…" he murmured, breaking the silence that made it seem like no one was breathing.

Someone had come and drilled Skypaw's jaws shut. She was stiff, she couldn't move.

_Say something, _she thought desperately at him, _say that the snow seemed to pass, or that, Leafpaw's getting rather big! This is torture! SAY SOMETHING, DARKPAW!_

And Darkpaw did say something.

"Skypaw…" he murmured, his eyes never blinking, "I think I've fallen in love with you."

And Skypaw felt the ground beneath her lurch horribly and the world blurred over.

**I liked that chapter. Did you? HE TOLD HER THAT HE LOVED HER! Parings for the other main characters now, please! **


	9. Chapter 9: Shadowpaw, Angry?

_**Chapter 9, Shadowpaw, angry? **_

_Shadowpaw pulled herself out of_ the den. She looked around. It was night. She had just seen Skypaw disappear from the den, and she followed her scent over to the medicine cat's den.

It was dark inside, except for a tiny splash of moonlight. The light was falling on…two cats.

Shadowpaw lowered herself onto her belly. She crept foreword, keeping her sparkling green eyes narrowed.

She could see the two cats now. One was Darkpaw, and the other was Skypaw.

Shadowpaw watched with quiet breathing as Darkpaw murmured something to Skypaw.

Skypaw's POV…

Skypaw felt as if her head was spinning.

"I don't know." Was what she said. It was a stupid sentence, and it didn't make any sense. Skypaw backed away, feeling shocked. Darkpaw stared after her, his eyes filled with pain. "I didn't mean…" he began.

Skypaw just kept walking backwards. She was scared, almost.

"No…" she murmured, "No."

She stepped back farther, and stepped on something. She tripped over.

She looked up, and saw Shadowpaw.

Shadowpaw's POV…

Instantly, Shadowpaw leapt foreword and trapped Skypaw beneath her paws, keeping one on her neck, her claws unsheathed.

"What did Darkpaw say to you?" Shadowpaw demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing," Skypaw looked desperately up at Darkpaw, who gave a tiny shake of his head, his eyes wide and scared.

Shadowpaw snarled and let her claws come a little closer to Skypaw's neck.

"Tell me now, or I will let my claws sink into-,"

But whatever she was going to do never happened, because she was interrupted by a terrible scream of agony.

All three cats raced out of the den, Darkpaw limping as hard as he could.

There were six huge brown creatures as tall as trees in the camp, standing on their hind legs. One had bended over and grabbed a screaming Leaftail by the leg.

What happened after went really fast. Darkpaw was screaming, screaming at his mentor and running, Skypaw leaped after him; they both took on the bear that had Leaftail.

Shadowpaw let out a furious caterwaul, and the clan poured from their dens.

Shadowpaw ran up the back of one of the bears. It snarled and shook, but Shadowpaw clung on tighter. It bent down, then stood up really fast. Shadowpaw was falling, falling to the ground that was several fox-lengths below her.

She hit the ground, but almost didn't feel it. Then she did. She pulled herself into a tiny ball, her whole body screaming in pain.

She opened her mouth a little bit. She screamed for help in her head but didn't say anything. Then the whole world blinked out.

XXX

"…broke her leg."

Shadowpaw was roused by someone muttering above her. She looked down at her legs, and saw that the right hind one had blood spurting from it.

She saw the face of Nightpaw above her, with Leafpaw at her side. Leafpaw looked down at her, gave an embarrassed squeak, and disappeared.

"The bears…" Shadowpaw muttered. "What happened?"

"They're still fighting with the Clan."

"Where is Leaftail?"

"Shadowpaw…" Muttered Nightpaw, "She…well, the bear you know…"

"Killed her?" Shadowpaw finished.

"Y-yeah," stammered Nightpaw, looking as if this were the end of the world

Then Nightpaw stopped, her ears pricked, and Shadowpaw heard to voices outside. She recognized then instantly: Seapaw and Skypaw.

"She's dead, Seapaw!" Shouted Skypaw, her voice loud with anger, "She was our mother, and we're never going to have another one!"

"I didn't say that!" yowled Seapaw, "I'll I said is that her body looked weird lying there and that she was-,"

"Dead!" Skypaw's voice was even louder as she shouted at her little sister, "You didn't seem to care! You may not be a kit anymore, but your mom's still dead!" She stopped, then added, "So is our dad."

"Rainwhisker?" Seapaw snarled (AN: I know it was Cloudtail at first, but then Leaftail and him were related…)

"Yes!" Skypaw snarled, "You're such a stuck up prat that-,"

"Shut up!" Spat Seapaw. Shadowpaw heard her charge away, and before Skypaw vanish, Shadowpaw was sure she heard her sob.

"Er…" Nightpaw murmured after a long silence, "I don't think we should have heard that…"

Shadowpaw raised an eyebrow, then flopped back down on the bed of moss.

XXX

Shadowpaw looked up as Ravenstar bounded into the medicine cat's den.

"We got them out of the camp! But we've got to leave quickly!" Ravenstar bounded out and Shadowpaw staggered to her feet. She limped foreword, her hind leg tucked up against her belly.

She limped out of camp, up around the nursery, where the rest of the Clan was trickling out. Ravenstar raced through the forest, until they were well past the ThunderClan borders.

Ravenstar looked around, spotted a large hole, and slipped inside.

Shadowpaw looked around, once she was inside. It was a small cavern, with a whole on one side going into another, smaller cavern. Ravenstar leaped to the front of the big cavern.

"Until the bears leave, we are going to stay here. I want a hunting patrol to go out, and another to find moss for bedding." She vanished into the crown and the cats split into groups.

XXX

Nightpaw lay around in the big cavern and watched the hunting patrol return. The Clan had placed a boulder at the entrance of the cavern, and you rolled it aside to get out, and rolled it back when you were in, to keep bears out. There was also a smaller boulder at the entrance of the little cavern.

Ravenstar had the Clan quiet down. "Now," She said, "Let us eat and be happy that we are not all in the bellies of bears.

Nightpaw looked around as the cavern filled with talk. She walked over to Flyingpaw. He was smirking at two cats that were by a pile of fresh-kill, in full view of the whole Clan.

It was Rockpaw and Shalepaw. They were eating from the same piece of fresh-kill. They were giggling, and their pelts were pressed together. Rockpaw grinned as they both bent their heads at the same time, and their heads bumped.

Nightpaw looked around and saw that Shadowpaw was watching them too, a strange expression on her face. Then she turned around and quickly vanished into the smaller cavern.

After a moment Nightpaw followed, pushing open the boulder then closing it behind her.

"Er…hi, Shadowpaw," she stammered.

Shadowpaw was sitting with her back to Nightpaw, staring at the wall. Her tail was straight out behind her, and it was flicking.

"Rockpaw seems to be enjoying himself," she said, and her voice was high and shrill with contorted anger.

"Uh…" Nightpaw said, feeling embarrassed.

"You saw them," Shadowpaw continued in a brittle voice. "They weren't hiding, where they?"

Nightpaw opened her mouth to say something, although she didn't know what. Suddenly, to her horror, the boulder slid aside and Rockpaw walked in, laughing, with Shalepaw behind him.

"Oh," Rockpaw mewed awkwardly as Shalepaw backed out, giggling.

Everyone was silent. The air crackled with tension.

"Hi Nightpaw!" Rockpaw said much to cheerily, "Had any mice yet?"

Shadowpaw stood up very slowly with her face as hard as rock and walked slowly to the boulder, making a beeline for it.

"You should go find Shalepaw," She said stiffly and quietly, "She'll be wanting you."

Rockpaw was frozen to the spot, his eyes huge.

Just as Shadowpaw reached the boulder she shouted back at Rockpaw.

"I'm so glad you left me and found Shalepaw! It makes everybody so happy!" her voice was still unusually high.

Shadowpaw turned around and wrenched the boulder aside. Nightpaw was sure she heard a sob before it slammed closed.

**I know this has nothing to do with Warriors, but I am finally going to get the sixth Harry Potter book. All the time I went to the bookstore it wasn't there. And it wasn't in the library. But know I ordered it on **

**And also I have read four chapters of The Sight!! I LOVE it so far. It is much better then the NP. My fav character is Jaypaw, and I love how he is blind…and how he's so critical of himself and others. He reminds me of Brambleclaw a little bit, band I think he will be evil…whatever, just let me finish it, and don't spoil anything farther then chapter four!!**

**REVIEW!!**


	10. Chapter 10: Rockpaw's Confession

**AN: there will be a few scenes in Rockpaw's POV from here forth…**

_**Chapter 10, Rockpaw's confession**_

_Nightpaw found herself always running_ into Rockpaw or Shadowpaw. They stayed away from each other. Every time Rockpaw walked into the cavern, Shadowpaw sort of disappeared with a mew of, "Good night," even if it was morning.

Rockpaw sort of steered clear of Shalepaw, too. He gave a sheepish grin when Nightpaw saw him sharing prey with her. Nightpaw didn't say anything, just walked away.

That evening Nightpaw entered the little cavern where Shadowpaw always was.

"Shadowpaw," she mewed.

Shadowpaw's tail flicked.

"Rockpaw's hunting," she said, "You can come out of this little cave."

"We have to move back to the camp," hissed Shadowpaw, "The bears are long gone."

"You're right," Nightpaw agreed. "I'll go tell Ravenstar."

XXX

Shadowpaw watched Nightpaw disappear. She was in a bad mood. She hated Rockpaw.

She heard the boulder slide aside and Flyingpaw padded in. Instantly he sat down next to her and wrapped his tail around her.

Shadowpaw sprang to her feet, green eyes blazing. "Who do you think you are, you dirty mouthed, maggot eating piece of crowfood?"

Flyingpaw sat there with his mouth slightly open.

"You think you have the absolute freedom to love any she-cat you want?" Shadowpaw snarled, her fur rising along her spine.

"I do not love you, not one bit, so stop bugging me and get on with your life!"

Shadowpaw leaped foreword and trapped Flyingpaw beneath her paws.

"Never get near me again!" she spat, "Do you hear me? I don't love you!"

Flyingpaw scrambled out of her grip and disappeared out of the cavern with nothing but a furious look at Shadowpaw.

Then, Rockpaw entered the den, without Shalepaw. He pressed his paws against the boulder when he heard the scrabbling of Shalepaw's paws on the other side.

"Er…" he began uncomfortably.

Shadowpaw shook her head, clearing her thoughts, although her heart still hammered.

"I'm sorry, Shadowpaw," he mewed, crouching down on his belly and inching toward her.

"Where is Shalepaw?" Shadowpaw asked in the brittle voice she had been using lately.

"Out there," Rockpaw jerked his head at the boulder which was rammed into the sand, allowing no cats in.

"She'll want you," Shadowpaw mewed and started to walk toward the boulder.

"Wait," Rockpaw said quietly, halting Shadowpaw in her tracks. He sat up and looked at her with a calm face and a slightly cocked head.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked.

Shadowpaw, to her own disbelief, couldn't answer.

Rockpaw tried again. "Shalepaw really likes me."

"I'm not blind," was Shadowpaw's answer.

"I like Shalepaw a lot, too," Rockpaw ventured. Shadowpaw twitched a little bit.

"But I also like you a lot," Rockpaw said cautiously.

Shadowpaw twitched again.

Rockpaw let out a big breath. His chest was roaring with ambition, but what was he ambitious for?

Shadowpaw fixed her almond shaped green eyes upon him, and Rockpaw sighed again. He liked Shalepaw, she was so pretty and nice, but he also liked Shadowpaw, She was so smart and silent. There was a huge difference in those things that defined the two cats.

Rockpaw sighed, deciding that he should choose between the she-cats later. He stood up and walked out of the cavern, to where Ravenstar had called a meeting of the Clan.

"Tonight is a Gathering," she yowled. "Brightheart, Thornclaw, Ashfur, Hollysky, Birchoak, Nightpaw, Shadowpaw, Skypaw, Leafpaw, Rockpaw and Darkpaw will go. The patrols have found no sign of the bears, so we will return to the camp after the Gathering. Also, Leaftail died when the badgers attacked, before Darkpaw received his name. So, from this moment on he will be known as Darkflame."

Rockpaw looked over at Skypaw, who had crouched to the size of an ant. He rolled his eyes. What was she embarrassed about?

XXX

Leafpaw watched as ShadowClan rushed into the clearing at Fourtrees. Cats were all around her.

She was listening to a few conversations when she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around.

"Hi," said the cat, who was medium brown with greenish-yellowish eyes "My name's Brownpaw. I'm Owlfeather's son. What's your name?"

"Leafpaw," said the bewildered she-cat. "What did you want to say?"

"Well…It's sort of boring right now. I have nothing to gossip about. You're from ThunderClan, right?"

"Yeah," Leafpaw mewed. _Boy, this cat likes to talk._ She thought. Well, so did she.

"Bears invaded or camp and killed my friend's mom. She was a medicine cat, and she fell in love…Oh whatever, her daughter's really nice. Her name's Skypaw and she's really cool."

Brownpaw looked uninterested in Skypaw. He seemed much more interested in Leafpaw.

"Hey," he said suddenly, "How about someday we meet at the border between ThunderClan and WindClan? We could get to know each other."

"Well…okay, when?"

"Tomorrow," said Brownpaw instantly.

Leafpaw noticed that her mouth was open and quickly closed it. "Well, goodbye," she said, stalking off.

There was a yowl from on top of the Great Rock, and Leafpaw looked up to see Ravenstar, Blackstar, Hawkstar, and Cederheart on top of it.

As soon as the crowd quieted down, Cederheart yowled into the night.

"Cat's of all Clans, listen!" he shouted, and Leafpaw could see his breath in the freezing night air.

"Tallstar died last night from old age, and his deputy, Mudclaw also died of a minor case of greencough. Our medicine cat, Barkface, said that I should be the new leader. And he has a new apprentice. Brownpaw is now the apprentice medicine cat of WindClan."

Leafpaw felt her jaw drop. Two deaths! But that wasn't what was really shocked her. It was that…that Brownpaw was a medicine cat!

"My name is now Cederstar," Cederheart said, his eyes glittering brightly. Then, he grinned, and it looked fake on his face, just like it looked fake when Mudpaw grinned.

Leafpaw watched him with transfixed eyes, until Blackstar's voice broke the silence. He talked about many random things. Then he was followed by Hawkstar, and finally Ravenstar. Then the leaders leapt off the rock and the Clans followed their leaders' home.

Ravenstar swerved into camp, smelled around and then charged through the gorse tunnel.

Everyone departed for the familiar dens. Leafpaw saw Shadowpaw glance over at Rockpaw and Shalepaw who were having a thorough sharing tongues session, then slip out of camp, her face stricken.

Leafpaw padded into the apprentices den and fell asleep, Brownpaw's face flickering at the edge of her mind

XXX

Nightpaw chomped into her mouse, looking around camp. She saw Ferncloud's almost six moon old kit, Hunterkit, pad over to the fresh-kill pile and take a mouse. His sister, Yarrowkit, was only two moons old.

Hunterkit took the mouse and jumped on top of the stump outside the apprentices den and chewed a little at it, then set it aside.

Nightpaw heard Ferncloud talking to Ravenstar.

"…he's six moons today. He'll have his apprentice ceremony tonight."

Nightpaw looked up at the kit. He was younger then Nightpaw, but already a bit bigger.

"Are you going to be an apprentice today?" She asked kindly.

Instantly, Hunterkit went bright red. He nodded, then stood up and tripped, sticking his elbow in his mouse carcass. It fell to the ground, and he dived after it, disappearing behind the stump.

Nightpaw smiled a little bit. Suddenly, two cats raced into camp, with their apprentices, Seapaw and Flamepaw at their heels. They were carrying a limp body in their jaws.

"Flyingpaw!" Nightpaw yelped. She saw Shadowpaw stalk past her, smirking.

"He's dead!" Snowfeather, Seapaw's mentor yowled. "We found him by the Thunderpath. We saw him. He must have been following someone, because he blundered right across it, and the monster came wheeling around the corner, and BAM! Nothing to it."

Ravenstar, who had been listening, nodded her head a little bit, and Snowfeather dropped him in the center of camp.

XXX

"Until this apprentice earns his warrior name, he will be known as Hunterpaw. Shrewtail, you will be his mentor."

Hunterpaw leaped off the Highrock and padded over to his new mentor, grinning. Nightpaw found herself smiling too.

Then Hunterpaw saw her and walked a few feet back, then tripped over his own paws. He stood up with his face as red as blood, and disappeared into a clump of nettles.

**This is something in Hunterpaw's POV…**

_Darn! _Hunterpaw thought angrily, _how can I make her like me? Every time I see her I do something really dumb…_ He sighed. Maybe he should just wait until another cat came along.

**Okay chapter. I think I have mates for Nightpaw and Leafpaw. Well duh, of course you know them…**

**I will be done with The Sight soon!! ******** luv it.**


	11. Chapter 11: Shadowpaw's Assessment

_**Chapter 11, Shadowpaw's assessment**_

_Nightpaw watched the mouse with_ narrowed ice-blue eyes. She was crouching in the reeds, her paws wet with the mud of the melting snow. Her tail flicked, and she sailed through the air. She landed on her target: a small black cat with glittering green eyes.

The cat was Shadowpaw. She snarled up at Nightpaw.

"You killed Flyingpaw, right?" Nightpaw demanded sharply.

"No! He got hit on the Thunderpath!"

"You smirked when you saw him dead," Nightpaw hissed.

"Alright! I ran across the path and stayed at the other side. He saw me, and ran toward me! He thinks that I am the she-cat for his future!"

Nightpaw sighed and let her go. "I should tell Ravenstar about this, but I won't." she backed off the black cat, and Shadowpaw scampered off.

Nightpaw sighed and headed back to camp. She was almost a year old now. She was going to become a warrior soon, and she still hadn't found a mate. She should have grabbed her chance when Flyingpaw was alive. He was completely unoccupied. Most cats had kits in their life time, and she didn't want to be the odd one out. If she didn't have kits, there would be less future warriors. Then she told herself that she was being silly. She didn't need to have a cat she didn't even like as a mate. Flyingpaw was definitely in that column.

She entered camp. The first thing she saw was Hunterpaw, dragging a rabbit over to the elder's den. He looked up, saw Nightpaw, and tripped over the rabbit. He grabbed it up and vanished into the elders den.

"What's wrong with him?" Nightpaw mumbled.

The day followed similarly. Every time she saw Hunterpaw he did something really stupid. Then she had one of her nagging thoughts confirmed.

She had approached Hunterpaw, ready to ask him how he liked training. He was sitting outside the apprentices den, with Leafpaw behind him. She saw lying on her side. He looked up and saw her.

"Do you like hunting?" she asked. Hunterpaw nodded, then stepped back, and sat right down on Leafpaw's flank.

The ginger and white she-cat yowled and sat up. Hunterpaw scrambled away from her and vanished into a clump of nettles.

_He likes me! _Nightpaw thought in surprise. _He likes me, like a mate would, only not that strong…_ She looked up at the early morning sky and decided that she would help him like her. She would do very interesting things. Maybe he would notice her.

So later that day Nightpaw was sitting with Skypaw. She could see Hunterpaw's round yellow eyes watching from the brambles of the apprentices den.

"I was hunting today," Nightpaw said rather loudly. "I caught a rabbit. You've got to be silent on your paws. Then they don't even know you are coming."

Skypaw gave her a weird look and padded away. Nightpaw saw Hunterpaw's eyes blink once, then disappear.

Nightpaw trotted to her mentor, Birchoak, when she heard him call her. The other older apprentices, Flamepaw, Skypaw, Shadowpaw, Rockpaw, Leafpaw, Shalepaw and Seapaw were already there with their mentors.

Thornclaw, a golden brown tom with green eyes spoke when all the cats had reached the training hollow. "Today you will all be assessed. First in hunting skills, then in fighting skills. Your mentor will assign you where to go.

Birchoak looked down at Nightpaw. "You will hunt at Sunningrocks."

Nightpaw nodded then angled her ears to the other apprentices.

"Skypaw, you can go by the Owl-tree," said her mentor, Ravenstar.

"Leafpaw, you hunt at Tallpines," Brightheart said kindly to her apprentice.

"Shadowpaw," Barked a quiet voice. It was Shadowpaw's mentor, Ashfur. "You get down to Snakerocks now!"

Shadowpaw flattened her ears, and Nightpaw's chest clenched in pity when Ashfur cuffed her hard over the head.

Shadowpaw's POV…

Shadowpaw let out a big breath as her head swirled in pain. She looked down at her paws, anger burning in her chest.

But she still heard Rockpaw's mentor, Thornclaw whisper in his ear. "You can hunt by the Great Sycamore."

"But that's so near to Shadowpaw! What if we run into each other?"

"That won't be so bad," Thornclaw muttered, "I saw you a few moons ago…lying outside the apprentices den together…" he smirked. Rockpaw shuffled his paws in embarrassment.

Shadowpaw then heard Shalepaw's mentor, Sootfur, whisper in the grey and brown apprentices ear. "Shalepaw, you will hunt by Twolegplace."

Shadowpaw smirked. Now Shalepaw would be a long way away from her beloved Rockpaw. But there was one problem. Shadowpaw would run into Rockpaw where she was hunting.

Suddenly, the mentors barked for their apprentices to go. Shalepaw gave Rockpaw a look of utter despair, then vanished out of the den. Shadowpaw bounded out of the training hollow and over to Snakerocks.

She smelled no adders, but she was still cautious. After a little bit she caught a squirrel and two mice. She was sniffing around for the rabbit she had smelled, when she realized that Ashfur wasn't watching her. She hadn't heard any twigs crack, and hadn't smelled his scent at all. She stopped, ignoring the rabbit that was just a few feet away, and charged about in the growth until she caught her mentors scent.

She started following it at a run. The trail took many odd turns so that she had to be careful. But the trail was no where near where she had been hunting. It led close to Rockpaw's place, then veered away to the ShadowClan border. Shadowpaw's pelt prickled. What was Ashfur doing by ShadowClan?

She crept out of the grass at the side of the Thunderpath and looked around. She spotted him instantly. He was right at the edge of the stinking path. He was sitting up and talking urgently to someone she couldn't see.

Shadowpaw strained her neck, then dashed back into the brush when Ashfur's head turned. She turned around and raced through the forest, her belly low to the ground. She had just started to lope when she tripped over something.

At first she ignored it, thinking it was just a log or something. But then she realized that she didn't hurt as bad as she would if she had hit a log.

She turned around and saw that it was not a log. It was a brown cat that was speckled with orange.

"Cederstar?" she whispered, bending over the stiff form. Dried blood caked both shoulders, and one hind leg was very mangled. She saw dark brown fur in his claws.

She stopped, wondering what to do. The ShadowClan leader wasn't dead, but he wasn't sleeping. He must have been knocked out.

She sniffed the fur between his claws. It smelled like fake, dry fur. What kind of cat had that?

She sniffed around him. She could smell to trail of any cat. The ground was churned a few feet away. Leaves were damaged, and clods of mud hung on trees. It looked like a cat had run up and attacked Cederstar, then flung him over to where he lay now.

Shadowpaw padded back to the brown and orange cat's side. She saw that Cederstar's mouth was slightly open, and that it was dry. He needed to wake up and get water.

Shadowpaw felt her heart pound in her chest. She had been out for a while now, and the sun was sinking. She wished some cat would come.

She looked around, and realized that she was in the middle of the forest. The smell of ThunderClan was everywhere, but she didn't know the way back.

Suddenly she heard paws on the crisp fallen leaves, and something barreled into her side. It pulled back, shaking its head.

"Shadowpaw?" the cat asked.

"Rockpaw?" Shadowpaw asked in equal astonishment.

He looked at her, then at Cederstar. "Why is he here?"

"I don't know. Something attacked him. I can't smell any scent."

"What are you doing out here?" she asked him.

"I…well, I was looking for you."

"Don't let Shalepaw hear you say that."

Rockpaw looked around. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," Shadowpaw shook her head. "I could follow my scent trail back, but the rain has been sprinkling, so it's long gone."

"Yes…" Rockpaw murmured. Suddenly, Thunder cracked above then, and rain started gushing down.

"Darn!" Rockpaw spat. It wetted the blood on Cederstar's shoulders, making it run down onto the ground.

Shadowpaw grabbed the stiff form of the ShadowClan leader. She began to run blindly through the forest, rain pelting her eyes and soaking through her pelt.

Rockpaw followed behind her. They were running, and then he heard a roar. He looked ahead, and saw two blazing lights cutting foreword. They had reached the Thunderpath.

**So…action's picking up, eh? Please review! I'm lost. Should I have Rockpaw and Shalepaw or Rockpaw and Shadowpaw? Please tell me which you like better!**


	12. Chapter 12: What?

_**Chapter 12, what?**_

"_Stop!" Rockpaw barked through the_ freezing rain at the pretty she-cat ahead of him. "We're at the Thunderpath!"

Shadowpaw skidded to a stop and dropped Cederstar. "Which way back to camp now?"

"We…I don't know." Tears poured down Rockpaw's cheeks. "This is horrible!"

Suddenly he looked up and saw that the monster was parked at the side of the road. "Run!" he screamed at Shadowpaw, turning around and plunging into the brush. Shadowpaw was outlined by the glare of the lights from the monster. He saw her reach down for Cederstar. Suddenly, big, waxy, hairless paws reached down for Shadowpaw. They clamped around her skinny sides, and she was lifted into the air by a Twoleg and placed inside the monster.

XXX

Skypaw took a vole from the fresh-kill pile and began to eat it. She was happy, she had done well on her assessment, and was ready to be made a warrior. Everyone had done well, in fact, but Rockpaw and Shadowpaw had never returned. She giggled at the thought of them out there, together.

Shalepaw looked distraught. She was incredibly worried about Rockpaw.

"He could be hurt!" she yowled, "And what if he and Shadowpaw…well, he loves me!" she walked off muttering about torn relationships.

Skypaw was still happy that she had hunted so well. She wasn't worried about Shadowpaw or Rockpaw. They would be fine.

Then her thoughts changed when Nightpaw staggered over to her, standing on uneven paws and her face red with fear and worry.

"Something has happened! Something is terrible!" Nightpaw gasped out.

"Something is wrong. One of them got hurt!" Nightpaw's eyes rolled and she fell into a dead faint, rain splattering her thick black fur.

Skypaw was confused. Her confusion increased when she saw Seapaw sitting outside of the apprentices den, her brow wrinkled. She was staring blankly at many things.

Seapaw blinked hard then stood up and left camp.

Suddenly Hunterpaw padded up to her, his ears flicking. "I know this sounds weird…" he mumbled, "But I haven't seen Leafpaw at all."

Skypaw looked around. Where was Leafpaw?

XXX

Leafpaw was running through the forest, her paws as silent as ice. She was going to meet Brownpaw. She was excited, despite the pouring rain.

She sloshed through the mud that had gathered at Fourtrees and charged up the slope and into the border at WindClan territory. Brownpaw was sitting on the rock, his tall form outlined by the faint light of the full moon.

"Brownpaw!" she yowled.

The tom set his glowing yellow eyes down on her, and Leafpaw jumped up onto the rock he sat on.

"Brownpaw!" She yowled again. He looked down at her, and his paw touched her face. It was cold, and Leafpaw wanted to draw back, but she didn't.

"We were going to meet tonight," she said carefully. Something wasn't right.

"We where," he breathed at her. "And I hurt Brownpaw."

"You're sitting right in front of me." Leafpaw murmured, terribly confused.

"I am not Brownpaw!" he shrieked, "I am He!" He shouted out the last words into the air. "I am He!"

"Where is Brownpaw?" Leafpaw demanded. She was on her feet, her voice shaking.

"Gone…" The imposter in front of her waved his paw in a circle across the moorlands.

"He is waiting for you," the terrible cat whispered. Leafpaw glared at him, and raked a claw through his pelt. She felt her claw touch the skin, but this cat didn't bleed.

Leafpaw stared into his shiny, glassy eyes. Her breath came fast and ragged.

"All around you!" the cat in front of her shouted. He was talking at normal voice, but it sounded like he was shouting. "In every Clan we are there! All but one is a clone!"

"What is a clone?" Leafpaw asked. She had to wake up now. This was terrible.

"Ha! Ha, ha, ha ha!" Shrieked the cat in front of her.

Leafpaw leaped off the rock and began to run. She pelted back toward camp, wishing-hoping- that this was a nightmare and that she would wake up any second.

But she didn't. She ran into someone just outside the ravine. It was Rockpaw.

"What's wrong?" Leafpaw panted. He shook his head and sprang into the camp. Leafpaw followed.

Rockpaw's POV…

"Help!" Rockpaw screeched into the rain. He could see the shapes of the apprentices outside their dens.

"I need Ravenstar!" he shouted.

"She's gone," Shalepaw murmured, coming and standing beside him.

"Where? Where is she?"

"Out hunting with half the warriors. The other half is out looking for you and Shadowpaw." She wound herself around Rockpaw, licking his face and twining her tail with his.

Rockpaw wrenched himself away from her. Shalepaw looked deeply insulted.

"Are there any warriors in camp?" the tom asked. His legs were sinking in the mud. He had short legs and a broad chest, just like he always had.

"No," Shalepaw mumbled.

"I need help!" he screeched. "Shadowpaw just got captured by Twolegs and they carried her away in a monster!"

**The end! Just kidding! Please review! Isn't the story getting exciting? Hate my cliffies, don' ya'll? **


	13. Chapter 13: Save Her!

_**Chapter 13, Save her!**_

_All the apprentices around Rockpaw_ stared at him with blank faces.

"I need help!" he yowled. "Please help me get her back!"

Skypaw, Nightpaw, and Leafpaw all walked to her side. Shalepaw stood up to and walked beside him, licking his ears and pressing her pelt to his all the way.

Rockpaw was running, the other apprentices behind him. All except Shalepaw. Now she was twining her tail with his. He stopped and turned to face her.

"Shalepaw," he mewed in a hard voice. "I need you to stop."

Shalepaw stared at him, her brow occasionally twitching. Finally she said, "Well, I'll go find someone who actually cares about me." She stalked off, in the direction of camp.

Rockpaw stared after her, sighing heavily. Then he turned and raced to catch up with the four other she-cats ahead of him.

He sprinted to the Thunderpath. He saw the monster pulling away. He leaped onto the stinking path and pelted after it, as fast as his legs would carry him.

"Rockpaw! What are you doing?" He heard Skypaw demand from behind him. He ignored her and kept running, blood rushing in his ears.

His paws were beginning to hurt. He looked around and saw the other apprentices running behind him. The monster was getting farther and farther away. He put on a burst of speed.

Suddenly, Nightpaw and Leafpaw, the cats with longer legs burst ahead of him, their paws flying on the path. Suddenly, Nightpaw leaped onto the monster carrying Shadowpaw away. Leafpaw followed.

Rockpaw's legs were shrieking in pain. He ran, almost numb from pain, fear, and cold, and jumped harder then he thought he could, and scrambled onto a tiny ledge on the monster and sat by the other to cats. (a/n: the ledge is the back bumper.)

Then he saw Skypaw still on the ground, streaking along behind the monster. She leaped, but only her front paws caught the ledge. Nightpaw reached down and pulled her up.

Rockpaw longed to lie down, but there wasn't enough room for that. He just had to wait.

Suddenly, the monster turned and stopped. Rockpaw looked around, his yellow eyes very wide.

A Twoleg got out of the car holding Shadowpaw. He walked across a well kept garden. The four apprentices followed him, streaking through the door and following the Twoleg into a very brightly lit room.

There was a weird board in the middle, held up by four spindly legs. There was another, smaller one beside it, with another board coming out from it. (AN: Table and chair)

The floor was made up of tail length long squares that were terribly bright white, flecked with specks of black. The room had fake suns glowing all around.

The Twoleg placed Shadowpaw on a corner of the spindly board thing and strapped her down with ropes. Then he rummaged through a bunch if weird grey things.

Another Twoleg, this one tall and thin, entered the room.

Twoleg's POV…

"So," Stacy murmured, "You got your cat."

"Yes. I'm going to test her, then euthenize her."

Stacy sighed. "This isn't a good idea, Professor Schmitt!"

Schmitt pointed to a cage of three frantic looking squirrels. "That's all I have!" he snapped, "As soon as I kill out all the cats, that cage will be bursting!"

"But you still have to kill the squirrels," Stacy murmured.

"So?" Schmitt snarled. He took a knife and made a thin scar in the black cat's forehead. He touched the blood that came out, and pressed into a tiny plastic sheet. He put it under a microscope and peered down on it.

"She's got blood type B negativeThat's odd. Most cats have O positive."

"So?" Stacy asked, feeling her eyes fill with tears as he filled a needle with pink poison. She could picture it. Schmitt would press the needle to the cat's fur, it would sink in, and then he would press the pink stuff into her and she would stop moving…Stacy let out a sob and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Rockpaw's POV…

"He cut her!" Nightpaw whispered in his ear. Rockpaw's muscles clenched. The Twoleg was looming over Shadowpaw, holding something sharp that was full of pink liquid.

He looked up at Shadowpaw. Her shiny black fur, sparkling green eyes…it confirmed that he had feelings for her. He stared at the black she-cat a moment longer, gave a tiny nod and turned to face the other apprentices.

"Okay," he whispered hurriedly, "I'm going to jump up on the table, and make a loud noise. Hopefully he should drop the needle. Then you, Leafpaw, you get it and hide it. I'm going to try to bite through the ropes holding Shadowpaw down. But I need someone to distract the man. Nightpaw, I want you to bite his ankles. Skypaw, you stay around. You may be needed for something that goes wrong. Does everyone understand?"

Nobody said anything. "Let's go," Rockpaw mewed and sprang onto the table. The Twoleg didn't see him. He raised his head and gave a hideous shriek.

The Twoleg faced him and shouted something. He slapped Rockpaw across the face. Rockpaw tripped and fell onto his chest. He shouted for Skypaw.

The white she-cat leaped onto the table. She raced foreword at the Twoleg, who shouted something and jammed the needle at Shadowpaw. His finger was coming down at the top, ready to press the pink stuff out…

**Dun, dun duun! What is going to happen? What do you think? Will she live or die?**


	14. Chapter 14: Mudpaw Oh!

**Note to Nameless Nightmare…I suggest you continue reading and review…You won't expect the twist that's coming…hehe…evil grin…**

_**Chapter 14, Mudpaw…oh!**_

_Rockpaw couldn't do anything but_ watch Shadowpaw die. The thing on top was just being pressed…

Suddenly there was a horrible shriek and Rockpaw saw that Nightpaw had jumped up and fastened her teeth in the man's ankle. He took the needle and flapped his hand down by her. The needle clattered to the floor. Leafpaw seized it.

Nightpaw continued to bite the man. Rockpaw sunk his teeth into one of the ropes, and Skypaw did the other. They broke, and Shadowpaw leapt to her feet. Skypaw jumped down to help Nightpaw chew.

Suddenly, Rockpaw wanted to confess his feelings for her. He opened his mouth, decided on his words, and then he closed it, embarrassed.

Shadowpaw looked at him then sprang from the table. She raced out of the Twoleg Nest with the other apprentices following.

As Rockpaw followed her he cursed silently under his breath. He should have just told her. She was so beautiful. He watched her paws pad silently over the grass in the garden.

He shook his head. He acting like he was lovesick. He had to get back to camp.

They were in the middle of the forest, in a tiny clearing that was covered with fallen leaves. Pine trees and oak trees stretched into the sky. The ground was soggy, and the rain was still falling. There were a few puddles on the ground.

Rockpaw ran foreword, and smashed headlong into something hard. He looked up.

Shadowpaw's POV…

It was Mudpaw. Rockpaw had smashed right into Mudpaw's chest. The apprentice looked down at all them, her head high. Behind her were very many cats, all the same height, all black, all with pale yellow eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Nightpaw asked. Shadowpaw was still looking at the cats behind her. One was Brownpaw of WindClan, another was Blackclaw of RiverClan, and one was Cederstar.

"Let me explain," Mudpaw said loudly. "You see three cats from your Clans, don't you? These are not the real cats. The real cats are strewn around the territory, out cold. These cats here are copies. They are not real cats, merely robots, created by a Twoleg named Professor Schmitt. He saw the three cats these robots are looking like outside his window and made a copy of them." Mudpaw walked foreword and slashed her claws into Blackclaw's chest. No blood came.

"A robot isn't a real cat. It is something made by Twolegs. It is made of metal. Metal is that shiny grey stuff you found in the professors house."

"How did you-," Nightpaw began, but Mudpaw finished for her.

"Know that you were in his nest?" Nightpaw nodded. Mudpaw raised her voice.

"I am a robot too! I am the professor's top one. I send him messages through my brain about everything that goes on. And he sent me a message saying that four little cats had interrupted his procedure."

She looked down at the five stumped apprentices.

"I see that you don't quiet understand. Well, you will soon enough. The battle will begin shortly, where we will wipe all five of you out, then head for the Clans, and deal with them too. But first I would like to introduce you to my fighters. "Those two black ones that look alike are nameless. They were built for fighting, that's all. The only thing they understand is when I give the command for them to attack. They can't talk, either. They are very remarkable fighters, though." Mudpaw nodded to the two stiff black cats.

"Then there are the ones that look like Clan members. They are good fighters, though not as strong as the black ones. Then there is me. I am the best. I am the highest kind, and the best fighter." She grinned. It looked terrible on her face. "Finally there is little Seapaw. A real cat, straight from ThunderClan. She will assist me in fighting."

"Seapaw!" Skypaw shouted at her little sister, who looked down at her paws.

"I will give you one minute to say your good-byes. Then you will all die."

"We won't all die!" Nightpaw shouted.

"Yes, that's exactly what a warrior who knows he is going to die would say," Mudpaw mewed dully, without even looking up.

All the cats fell silent. Shadowpaw heard Leafpaw pray to StarClan.

But Skypaw hadn't quieted down. "Seapaw," she mewed, "All the Clans will die out. You will help them in that process if you stay on Mudpaw's side. She will kill you anyway when she is through with us. Please, be noble before you die."

"I will die knowing I won a battle."

"A battle against your will," Skypaw said. "You would die knowing that you were protecting your Clan if you stayed with us."

Seapaw shook her head.

Skypaw had a new idea. "Seapaw, if you die fighting against your Clan, you may not go to StarClan."

Seapaw paused. The whole forest seemed to hold its breath. Then Seapaw stood up and walked over to the ThunderClan apprentices, standing beside her sister.

They were silent for a few more seconds.

"I don't want to die!" Shadowpaw spat suddenly, "Who said they were going to beat us?"

"We have no hope against them," Skypaw whispered, and Shadowpaw saw tears sparking in her eyes. Leafpaw looked over, and then she started crying. So did Nightpaw.

"Hey!" Mudpaw said suddenly, "I have an idea! Let's fight for something!" She reached foreword and grabbed Seapaw. She slashed her claws into the apprentice's neck, and she fell down in a dead faint.

"We fight over her! If you win, she will come back to life, but if I win, she will die as soon as the last of you five are dead. And, as we wait, she gets closer and closer to death, so let us make haste!"

All the apprentices were horrified at what Mudpaw had done. Skypaw was shaking with anger, tears spilling out of her violet colored eyes and staining her silky white fur.

Then, while all the apprentices sat in shock, Rockpaw stood up, and straightened then into a line. Five against six. Then Rockpaw sat with them.

"Now!" Mudpaw bellowed.

**They're all going to die…sobs weird plot, Mudpaw being a robot, I know. Someone dies in the next chapter. WHO DO YOU THINK IT IS?**

**Hi Dawnfeather!! Sorry, I would have replied more privately, but then you are anonymous. Great! I hope you like my books…Actually, It, (Mudpaw) is not Shadowpaw's mother at all…read the other books to find out about that…Okay, start with Look to the Stars, and then Outcast, then Raven, then No Stars, then this!! **


	15. Chapter 15: And She Did

_**Chapter 15, And she did**_

_All eleven cats leaped at_ each other. Nightpaw let her claws rake into the face of one. Leafpaw got a blow on the side. Skypaw jumped onto a black cat's back. Shadowpaw sunk her teeth into Cederstar's shoulder. Rockpaw jumped to avoid a blow from Mudpaw.

Nightpaw raked her claws down Brownpaw's flank. He slashed his paw out at her in almost a relaxed sort of way, sending her crashing to the ground, where rain and mud sprayed her pelt. Disgusted, Nightpaw scrambled to her feet and raked out at him.

Brownpaw leaped foreword, and Nightpaw darted out of the way just in time. She turned around, and felt cold, dead, metal claws cut into her shoulder.

She leaped away, lashing out at Brownpaw. Her claws cut his flesh but he did not bleed. Then Nightpaw realized that this was hopeless. She couldn't win.

Then she got the unluckiness of having two cats fighting her. Cederstar and Brownpaw. She kicked and scratched until her limbs shrieked with tiredness. But the robot cats weren't tired. They just fought and fought and fought…

Nightpaw's vision was blurring as she scratched for the thousandth time. She leaped foreword and bit a cat on their leg.

She pulled back, her head spinning. She was to tired, to slow to avoid Brownpaw, who was running toward her, fast, but to her it seemed slow. She bunched her muscles, and teeth met in her shoulder.

She was lifted off the ground, and shaken about, and flung far away. She smashed into a tree, hitting the shoulder that Brownpaw had just bit against it. Blood poured onto her fur. She glared up at the blurry shapes of Cederstar and Brownpaw.

She looked down at her flank, and saw that blood was trickling down it in a large stream. Her head spun with loss of blood.

She saw the blood rush into a large puddle of water.

"Help me," she muttered silently, "Help me." And one last instinct clicked in her mind and she reached foreword, slamming her paw onto the limp Seapaw's face. "I'm sorry," she rasped, "I will explain later." Then her paw drifted of Seapaw's face.

She heard a voice, it was Skypaw's voice. "We will always be friends!" It shouted, "All four of us!"

Nightpaw knew that Skypaw meant her, Leafpaw, Shadowpaw, and Skypaw. They would always be friends, even if…even if…

She heard someone pad toward her, and smelled Shadowpaw.

"Nightpaw…" The voice held a question.

"You have always…" Nightpaw took a breath, "Been my friend." She stopped, and then took another breath. "And you always will be." She saw for a moment, Shadowpaw's face. "Live long…and in peace." She could see the whole world, and for an instant her whole body screamed in fear. She didn't want to die. What would happen? Oh StarClan…

Then Shadowpaw turned and stepped back, leaving Nightpaw to die on the bloodstained grass.

And she did.

**Oh! Major twist coming up! Do you think Nightpaw will come back? My best apologies, Nameless Nightmare…**


	16. Chapter 16: The Fallen Tree

_**Chapter 16, The fallen tree**_

_Shadowpaw stumbled away from Nightpaw's_ body, her eyes glazed over with shock. How could Nightpaw be dead? It was just…impossible.

Her eyes stinging, Shadowpaw stepped back. She looked behind her and saw Mudpaw with two robots at her side. She looked around, then lashed a paw out at Mudpaw. The dark tabby lunged foreword, smashing Shadowpaw into the dirt.

Shadowpaw scrambled up, and raked Mudpaw again. She could feel tiredness in her limbs. She sunk her teeth into Mudpaw's shoulder, her head aching. They had lost Nightpaw. They were one down. She looked around as Mudpaw smashed a blow at the side of her head, sending flying into the air. She landed a few feet away from a dark grey cat.

She staggered to her feet, and walked over to him, exhaustion dragging at her feet. She stumbled, then picked herself up. She was right beside the cat when her legs gave way.

She fell on her chest and didn't get up. She found that her head was only a few inches from the cats neck.

"Rockpaw?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"Shadowpaw…" Shadowpaw looked up to see that blood covered his shoulder.

"Whatever you do, whatever happens to me," he murmured, "Win the battle. Promise me that you will win the battle."

Shadowpaw paused, staring down at the dark grey tom. "I will," she whispered finally, and both fell into a faint.

XXX

Leafpaw was running at top speed. She couldn't bear the thought of Brownpaw lying stranded in the middle of the forest. She was looking for him. She had considered telling ThunderClan that they were being attacked, but then she couldn't find her way back to camp, so that left her mind.

She was worried for her friends, though. She had been fighting Blackclaw, and found herself very tired. So she had left to go find Brownpaw.

She was roaming somewhere in the uplands when she spotted something brown a few feet away. She ran foreword.

Sure enough, it was Brownpaw. Leafpaw bent over him. He was stiff and cold, and caked in dried blood.

"Brownpaw?" she murmured, "It's Leafpaw."

There was no answer. The greenish yellow eyes didn't even flicker.

Leafpaw dragged him under a bush, then padded away, back to the scene of destruction.

XXX

Skypaw was battling hard against one of the black cats. Although she was tired, she still pelted him with her claws and teeth. She could see that Rockpaw and Shadowpaw were both fainted, and Nightpaw had vanished. Leafpaw had murmured something about having to go somewhere, so she was the only one left.

She fought as hard as she could, though she was no match against the black cat. He would pause, then grab her hind leg, turn her upside down, and drop her, leaving cuts in her leg.

Skypaw sunk her claws into the black cat's face. He didn't make a sound, but put his cold claws into her fore leg. Skypaw leaped backward, then lunged, flinging her teeth into his tail. He looked down at her and then stopped moving. Skypaw gave him a blow to the side. He fell over like a stiff board and stayed there.

She saw Shadowpaw pull herself to her feet. Mudpaw looked up, and ran over to a pine tree with a cackle. She put her paw to the trunk and pushed. There was a terrible crack, and the tree began to fall. Skypaw shrieked and ran out of the way. She turned around when silence fell again. She was on one side of the tree with the fainted Rockpaw and the bodies of Mudpaw's five helpers. Shadowpaw was on the other side, with Seapaw's half-alive body, and Mudpaw.

Skypaw then noticed that she couldn't get to her friend. The trees that bound the clearing were very tight, and only a cat as skinny as Leafpaw could fit through them. The tree blocked her from getting to the side Shadowpaw was on, and the trees on Shadowpaw's side were even tighter then the ones here.

"Shadowpaw!" She called through the thick branched of the fallen pine.

"Skypaw?" came the muffled reply.

"I'm here! I can't get across."

"I know."

"I'll try and shift the branches," Skypaw yowled. "You deal with Mudpaw!"

"Okay!" Shadowpaw shouted, and then Skypaw heard snarling.

She reached foreword and parted one of the branches with her paw, the sound of the falling tree still in her mind, and she thought of Shadowpaw, alone with a cat strong enough that it could push down a tree.

**Creepiness of the robot…dun, dun, dun…isn't it nice, how I keep giving you three chapters at a time??**


	17. Chapter 17: Trapped With the Robot

_**Chapter 17, trapped with the robot**_

_Shadowpaw stumbled away from the_ huge fallen tree. She had no hope of living now. She looked around, and ran over to Seapaw's body.

"Seapaw…" she murmured, "Wake up."

The she-cat didn't move. Shadowpaw touched her cheek. She was ice cold.

_How far from death is she?_ Shadowpaw wondered. She wished Seapaw would wake up. She needed someone to fight on her side.

"Wake up." She mewed desperately.

"She won't wake up," Said a cold voice.

Shadowpaw froze. She had completely forgotten that Mudpaw was here too.

Shadowpaw stood up slowly. Mudpaw was at the corner of the clearing. Shadowpaw walked over to her, and stopped a few fox-lengths away.

Mudpaw stood up and walked to the edge of the clearing. She put her paw on a tree that was on the edge.

"Shadowpaw," she said, "Do you know why these threes are so close together?"

"No," Shadowpaw said, feeling scared. But, when she looked at it, the trees were packed together very tightly.

"Not all these trees are real. I created a few images of trees to fill in the gaps. I could go out right now, but you couldn't. You'd be zapped my beams of blue light."

"Now, your friend out there," Mudpaw pointed her tail at the other side of the tree, "She could probably fit through the gaps. So…"

Mudpaw paused then swished her tail. There was a tremendous crack, and by seeing over the fallen tree, Shadowpaw could see that Skypaw's side was just as tightly bound by trees as her side. The two cats were trapped apart from each other.

"Should I finish you off, then?" Mudpaw asked casually.

Shadowpaw didn't move.

"Alright, then." Mudpaw said, deciding what Shadowpaw's answer was going to be. She walked foreword, and slashed her claws down Shadowpaw's face.

Shadowpaw ducked to avoid them gouging out her eyes. She sprang back, away from Mudpaw.

The dark tabby continued to come. Shadowpaw noticed that she was about to hit a tree. What if it was a picture, and when she fell through she was killed with blue light?

She raked her claws in front of her, and felt them hit Mudpaw's chest.

Mudpaw turned her head. Shadowpaw noticed then that there were several folds of loose skin around her neck…Whatever, it didn't mean anything.

She leaped, and grabbed Mudpaw's tail in her mouth. She clamped down, which was a mistake, because Mudpaw simply swished her tail, and Shadowpaw flew into the air. She was going to hit one of the trees, and it was most likely a picture. She put out her paws, and they smashed into the ground. She heard a small crack, and her face fell into the mud.

"Ugg…" she groaned. Her face was on fire. She tried to sit up. She couldn't. Her leg was broken. She pushed herself with one paw onto her haunches, then sat up. She licked the broken leg a couple times and turned her face her enemy.

She glared at Mudpaw, who merely swished her tail. Shadowpaw ran foreword, stumping along on her three legs. She raked her claws down Mudpaw's flank, and a few pieces of hair floated to the ground.

Mudpaw hit her in the side with a paw, and Shadowpaw narrowly avoided being tossed into the mud. She staggered back.

She paused, and pressed her broken leg gingerly to the ground. Her whole body jerked in pain and she pulled her leg back.

She stopped and took a deep breath. Then she slowly pressed it onto the round. The pain was terrible, but she could do it.

Mudpaw looked up and down her leg. "It's not broken, it's just sprained," she said in an emotionless voice.

Shadowpaw walked slowly foreword, little bursts of pain erupting in her body every time she used the sprained leg. But soon it died down to a little ache.

She sprang foreword, but Mudpaw deflected her by biting her in the neck. Shadowpaw pulled away quickly before the teeth bit down to hard.

She backed away, but this time Mudpaw was running at her. Shadowpaw cracked her teeth through the air, and they met on nothing. She squeezed her eyes closed and cracked her teeth again. They met on the skin around Mudpaw's neck. The robot pulled back, and the skin sprang out of her mouth.

Shadowpaw opened her eyes and looked up. The skin around Mudpaw's neck had stretched, and it hung very loosely.

"You can bite there, Shadowpaw," Mudpaw drawled. "It doesn't hurt. But, it's not a very good place to bite; you might have to pay dearly…"

Shadowpaw, not believing a word the car said, lunged foreword, but Mudpaw moved aside, sending Shadowpaw crashing to the ground.

"It's not like I _want_ you to bite there," Mudpaw said, smirking.

Shadowpaw growled angrily. Suddenly Mudpaw spun around and came pelting toward her. Shadowpaw winced and stepped back quickly, but felt the branches of the fallen tree pierce her pelt. She stopped; putting her paw up by her face as Mudpaw came rushing toward her. Now the dark tabby's fur was blurring her sight, she could see every individual hair…

She made one last desperate attempt to save herself, she clamped her teeth down and they met in something.

The rushing of air and the sound of Mudpaw's snarling stopped. Shadowpaw opened her eyes, her teeth still clenched. She had grabbed the skin around Mudpaw's neck…and…and killed her.

She was holding Mudpaw's skin in her jaws. It was limp, and she saw to glassy eyes with a dark slash painted on them on the part that went over Mudpaw's head. She dropped the skin and grinned. She had won.

Then she looked up and saw Mudpaw standing at the other end of the clearing.

Only something was terribly wrong…

Mudpaw didn't have any skin.

**Whoa! Isn't that gross? No skin? Well, wait until the next chapter for me to describe her. Nightpaw's twist comes later…**

**Hehe…Review!! Yep…Aviation, you are the best reviewer so I grant thee a Shadowpaw and Rockpaw plushie!! **


	18. Chapter 18: Living in a Nightmare

_**Chapter 18, living in a nightmare**_

_Shadowpaw stared at the cat_ before her, just blinking and blinking.

Mudpaw's chest was grey metal, with a bunch of little blinking colored lights. Her legs were thin pieces of metal with a pulley. Her paw had many pieces of metal going off, with metal claws on the end.

Her tail was made of a bunch of little pieces of metal placed on top of each other. Her whole body was covered in little thin colored things (AN: wires.) in her belly there was a red box thing and a black box thing, placed next to each other. A big black tube came from the black box, and a red one from the red box. Crisscrossing metal bars covered it, like the two boxes and the two tubes were in a cage.

Her face had big metal teeth on a scary looking jaw. Her ears were made of wire mesh, and her eyes were endless pits, but Shadowpaw could see two red lights in them. They glowed very brightly.

Shadowpaw didn't move. She was terrified. There was no hope against this cat. Mudpaw opened her mouth and hissed.

Shadowpaw looked down at Seapaw's body, which was even paler then before. She looked up at Mudpaw. She was going to go fight her, and die.

Shadowpaw lowered herself onto her belly and jumped. She closed her teeth on one of the metal arms. Instantly her jaw began to ache and she pulled back, leaving nothing in the metal.

"Yes," Mudpaw said, "You cannot kill me now at all." But even as she said this, Shadowpaw saw her move a protective leg over the red and black boxed and the cage.

Shadowpaw's ears tweaked. She would try to get at Mudpaw's belly.

"Watch this," Mudpaw mewed. Her eyes glowed incredibly bright. Shadowpaw looked away.

"Oh and yeah, don't look me in the eyes, you'll get zapped."

Shadowpaw looked away and started to run. She crashed into the fallen tree and ran backward, still with her eyes closed. She stumbled over something. It was Seapaw's body.

She opened her eyes, and only looked down at Seapaw's fur. She could hear Mudpaw running up behind her. She closed her eyes very tightly and leaped. She felt her paws hit something very hard and there was a ripping sound. Shadowpaw stepped back and cracked open her eyes.

On the ground before her was Mudpaw's head. The eyes were facing away from her. The neck had pieces of broken metal and wires sticking out. Shadowpaw managed a tiny grin. She had won.

Then she looked up, and was once again mistaken about her victory.

Mudpaw was standing a few feet away, just without her head.

The head started buzzing wildly before Shadowpaw's feet. Shadowpaw looked up at Mudpaw. The dark tabby cat walked toward her.

This nightmare had to end. Shadowpaw backed up as the mutant walked slowly toward her.

Mudpaw started into a bound, leaping toward Shadowpaw. Her claws came out and Shadowpaw screamed.

"NO!" she shrieked. She slipped past Mudpaw, reaching up to scratch her on the chest. Her claws tore and stung with pain, but Mudpaw's chest began to fall apart. The blinking lights started to shower with sparks. The thing holding the lights came toppling to the ground, exposing a ton more wire and metal.

Sparks sprayed onto the ground. Shadowpaw backed away, watching pieces fall from Mudpaw's chest.

Mudpaw's neck started to move around, and she started walking in circles. She tripped over her own paws, then sat up. She walked over to Seapaw and raised a paw.

Shadowpaw screamed and dashed over to her. She grabbed the raised paw, but the robot was much too strong. She fell onto Seapaw's flank and crouched there, protecting Skypaw's little sister.

The paw hit her side. Shadowpaw twitched in pain, then burst to her feet, throwing all her strength at Mudpaw.

The robot backed up a footstep, and Shadowpaw hit her in the side again. She landed on top of Mudpaw, and the robot stood up, throwing her off. Mudpaw started to walk in circles again, and attacked a wet leaf. (AN: malfunctioning.)

Shadowpaw leaped onto her back, and Mudpaw fell onto her side, her paws waving in the air. A bunch of metal fell from her chest. Then Shadowpaw saw the boxes…the cage.

She raced foreword and rammed her head against the cage. She pulled back, stars dancing before her eyes. The bars were still as strong as before.

All her fear had left her. All Shadowpaw wanted to do was to hit Mudpaw. Hit her and her and hit her and hit her. She raised a paw and let it come slamming down. Over and over she slammed the mutant before her.

Suddenly, a shower of pieces fell from the robot. Shadowpaw watched as a large metal piece…the cage, swung open and exposed the boxes and the tubes.

Shadowpaw ran foreword. Suddenly she was stopped by a blinking blue flash. She was lifted into the air, and slammed against a real tree outlining the clearing. She fell to the ground, her whole body racing double-time.

She looked up to see that Mudpaw had stood up, one leg ripped off, headless, and no skin. But there was a large circle of blue light surrounding her. Shadowpaw scrambled to her feet and limped over to Mudpaw. She put her paw up, claws unsheathed.

Their was a terrible sizzling noise as her claws went through the blue light. She raked her paw back and looked down at her claws. Two of them were burnt down to stubs. What if that had been her whole body?

She stumbled away from Mudpaw's mutated body. She hit one of the real trees caging her in and crouched there. Even though Mudpaw had lost her eyes, nose, and ears, she still seemed to know where Shadowpaw was, because she came foreword, slowly, tottering on three feet.

Shadowpaw sprang up and raced away, but Mudpaw followed her everywhere.

The blue light began to flicker, then flash. Suddenly it disappeared. Mudpaw's body buzzed, then beeped loudly, and half her tail fell off.

Shadowpaw ran foreword, throwing herself onto Mudpaw's extremely hard side. She felt something sharp pierce her in the ribs, and yelped, pulling back.

She looked down at the wound. There was a short, deep scratch in her flank. Blood was spurting out of it. Shadowpaw crouched on the ground, her whole body cringing in pain.

She looked up at Mudpaw, who still had parts falling off her. She saw something hit the swinging half open cage. It fell off with a slight plunk, exposing the red and black boxes, and the funny tubes.

Shadowpaw could barely stand up. She staggered to her feet, then flopped down again. The cut in her side was making her whole body freeze up in pain.

_Help, StarClan, help, _she whispered. She was covered in mud, grime, blood and water. She just wanted to fall asleep, and wake up in a safe den with a cat cleaning her fur. But that was impossible.

She staggered to her feet, took a deep breath and took a step foreword.

Instantly Mudpaw raised a paw. Something bright green shot out of it and hit Shadowpaw in the side. She flew through the air and landed beside Seapaw's body.

She wasn't in pain. She was just shocked and scared. She couldn't get at Mudpaw now, but Mudpaw could get at her.

She scrambled foreword, and put her paw on Seapaw's shoulder. She was ice cold. She looked at her breathing, it was fast and ragged. She had about one minute.

She stood up and turned around. Instantly she was zapped, but this time with red light. She hit the ground, and pain came. Such bad pain. She curled into a tiny ball, her paws twitching. Pain filled her whole body. She tried to stand up and was zapped with more pain.

Shadowpaw was thrown into the air and landed on the ground, half in a puddle. She looked at the leaf strewn ground. She couldn't get up now. She was to beaten, to bloody, in to much pain.

Then she saw a small twig lying a few inches from her nose. She moved her paw and shoved it into her mouth, then spat it out as hard as she could. It flew through the air and landed on Mudpaw's paw-the paw that had been zapping her.

The paw fell off. More sparks came. Shadowpaw stood up and just stayed like that, looking lifeless and gaunt.

Mudpaw charged foreword on three legs, throwing up leaves. Shadowpaw didn't move. She saw the boxes and the tubes. This was her last hope. If it didn't work she would sit down and wait to die.

Mudpaw came and leaped, smashing Shadowpaw onto the ground. Shadowpaw snatched the tubes in her jaws as Mudpaw's weight fell on top of her. She clamped down hard on the tubes, tearing them, shredding them.

Sparks flooded her mouth, she was hit with a bolt of something, and was jolted an inch off the ground, ending her with a headache.

She gnashed the tubes in her mouth. Mudpaw was shrieking, a horrible sound coming from the whole body. Then it stopped. Shadowpaw was jolted into the air, still clinging onto the tubes. She flew through the air, dragging Mudpaw's body along, and landed in a puddle. She readjusted her grip in the tubes, and a fire started in her mouth. She slid along in the mud until she was in the puddle, and bloody water flooded her mouth and nose. She lay there with Mudpaw's completely destroyed body in front of her, the tubes drifted out of her mouth, and Shadowpaw didn't rise.


	19. Chapter 19: Done

_**Chapter 19, done**_

_Shadowpaw opened her eyes. Well,_ one of her eyes anyway. The other was flooded with grimy water, and she couldn't see. She could feel something on top of her, and raised her head to see a couple of Mudpaw's stray paws lying on her flank. She stood up, water dribbling off her fur. The main part of Mudpaw's body was in the puddle with her, but many parts were strewn around the clearing.

She could see streaks of red and yellow in the distance, and realized that dawn had just come, and that she had fought all night. She stumbled over to where Seapaw lay.

"Seapaw," she rasped.

The she-cat blinked and opened her eyes. She scrambled to her feet.

"Shadowpaw…you're a…"

"Mess." Shadowpaw finished. She was standing there, skinny and bedraggled.

Seapaw looked over Shadowpaw's shoulder at the bits of Mudpaw that were strewn around.

"It was terrible," Shadowpaw whispered." I can't talk now though, Seapaw." She turned to look around the clearing and saw that the pictures of trees had disappeared.

Shadowpaw stumbled over to the fallen tree, and saw a little hole in the middle.

"Skypaw!" she rasped in a barely audible voice.

"Shadowpaw?" Skypaw asked. A clean white face appeared at the other side of the hole.

"Shadowpaw…is she dead?"

"Go and look," Shadowpaw mumbled.

Suddenly Skypaw caught sight of her little sister.

"Seapaw!" she yelped happily. Skypaw scrambled through the hole and covered he sister in licks. Then she looked around at the remains of Mudpaw.

"Shadowpaw tell me what-,"

"No," Shadowpaw muttered. She scrambled through the hole and looked around at the clean other side.

Rockpaw opened his eyes and scrambled over to her.

"We can go," He mumbled. "Get Nightpaw, I think she's-,"

"Nightpaw's dead."

"Over there, she was knocked-,"

"Rockpaw. Nightpaw's…dead."

Rockpaw stopped and looked down at her.

"She can't be."

"It's true."

Rockpaw was still. He didn't move.

Shadowpaw walked over to her motionless black friend.

"Nightpaw," she mumbled, her eyes filling with tears. She wiped some blood of Nightpaw's face and straightened her splayed paws.

"Nightpaw…" She whispered, "We won the battle." She said it, even though she knew that Nightpaw couldn't hear her.

She saw something wet drop onto Nightpaw's flank, and realized that it was her own tears. The other cats grouped around her, all dropping silver water onto their lost friends pelt.

**I know it was a really short chapter but whatever…there will be two more chapters in the book!**

**And the sequel is called…dun dun dun…**

**The Search for Nightwind!! **


	20. Chapter 20: The Battle of the She cats

_**Chapter 20, the battle of the she-cats**_

_Shadowpaw stepped back from Nightpaw's_ body. Skypaw and Rockpaw followed her, with Seapaw behind them. Leafpaw had appeared into the clearing, and was watching with scared eyes.

Seapaw silently picked up Nightpaw's body and padded behind them.

They walked in a straight line, not even caring where they went. They were all silent, until Rockpaw mumbled something about seeing the ravine and they padded down it.

Shadowpaw glanced up and saw Shalepaw bounding toward Rockpaw with a squeal of delight, covering him with licks and stroking his shoulder with her tail. Rockpaw looked at the ground.

The rest of the Clan was completely still, mouths open, eyes unblinking.

Finally a small voice broke the silence.

"Nightpaw?"

Hunterpaw had approached on his belly, sliding towards them.

"She…" Shadowpaw rasped, put her throat caught in her throat, and tears spilled out of her eyes. Ravenstar, who sat by the fresh-kill pile was shocked. Suddenly, six apprentices appear in the front of camp, covered in blood and dirt, and in Shadowpaw's case, grime.

"What happened?" Ravenstar asked, and all the Clan started nodding.

The apprentices looked at Shadowpaw, who opened her mouth, but no words came out. "We…" was all she managed. Then she felt dizzy, and the world was spinning in front of her. She felt her legs crumple under her.

"She's lost a lot of blood," Skypaw mewed. Shadowpaw panted for a moment then sat up.

"Where is Mudpaw?" Ravenstar asked, "Did she die in the battle? Did whoever that was fighting you kill her?"

Leafpaw opened her mouth but Shadowpaw answered before her. "No," She snarled, "She attacked us. I had to fight her. Alone. And I took off her skin…and the head…" It all flooded back to her, fighting to save her life, and Seapaw's life. She remembered her own pure desperation when there was the zapping, and how she kept trying to kill her, and she couldn't, and how she bit the tubes…

Then she remembered her eye, and that it was blind, because of the muddy water that had gotten in it.

Ravenstar looked confused. She walked foreword and sat down in front of Shadowpaw.

"Shadowflight," she said, addressing Shadowpaw with a new name, "You did well. Soon you will tell me your story."

"Skyfeather," she murmured, touching Skypaw's shoulder with her tail-tip. "Leafcloud." She looked at Rockpaw. "Rockpool."

Then she looked down at Nightpaw's motionless form.

"And Nightwind."

Then Ravenstar mewed, "Shadowflight, tell us your story."

Shadowpaw took a deep breath and began, slowly at first, then rushing through it, describing Mudpaw without any skin and the fake trees. She described how Mudpaw had threatened the cats with Seapaw's life. And then she told her about how she had bitten the tubes, and Mudpaw had died, her whole body flung all around, and that she was still in the clearing, her head still staring sightlessly at the sky. And-of course- she didn't even need to add fake scary bits.

"You all did well," Ravenstar murmured. Shalepaw was busy nuzzling Rockpaw's face. "There will be a small celebration for the life of Nightwind. And, let us shout out the welcome of five new warriors!"

The cats howled a little bit, but none of the new warriors grinned. Skyfeather was staring blankly at Seapaw, and Rockpool was ignoring Shalepaw as she pressed her side to his.

Shadowflight lowered her belly onto the ground. She looked up at Shalepaw, who was still trying to get a response out of Rockpool.

"He doesn't want you to do that," Shadowflight growled, surprising even herself. All the Clan stopped to listen. Shalepaw glared at her.

Rockpool looked up, surprised. Shalepaw stepped foreword to Shadowflight, growling.

Shadowflight crouched on the ground and Shalepaw copied her position. The whole Clan held their breath.

Shalepaw leaped first, and Shadowflight deflected her with her paws, slashing them through the air. Gashes appeared on Shalepaw's clean chest, and the grey and white apprentice shrieked.

Shadowflight jumped, and slammed down onto Shalepaw, who squirmed under her. Rockpool, who had backed away, didn't join the battle.

Shalepaw jolted upward, and Shadowflight fell onto the ground. They both jumped at each other, and became a snarling ball of fur, their teeth grabbing out great lumps of fur.

When Shalepaw scratched Shadowflight, the black warrior hardly felt it. Shalepaw's claws were like prickly little thorns compared to Mudpaw's huge metal ones. She slashed and bit with all the strength she had used on the robot.

Shalepaw threw Shadowflight backward, but the black warrior popped up, and clamped her teeth onto Shalepaw's scruff. She tilted back her head and shoved it foreword, releasing Shalepaw. The grey and white apprentice slammed into a tree and then leaped foreword for more.

Both were a snarling ball again. The snarling grew louder and louder, turning to a deafening roar, and then it stopped.

All the cats craned their necks to see who had won. Shadowflight had a paw pinned on Shalepaw's throat. Shalepaw was hissing a little and her ears were flat, but her eyes said, _you won._

Shadowflight stepped off her and Shalepaw stood up.

Rockpool didn't move. Shalepaw looked over at him, her yellow eyes huge, and gave him a tiny lick. Then she walked over to the apprentices den and vanished inside.

The Clan slipped away. At moonrise they would have Nightwind's celebration.

As soon as the whole Clan had gone, Rockpool padded over to Shadowflight. He put his muzzle against hers.

"Shadowflight?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Let's go to sleep."

They turned toward the warriors den, and they both lay down, curled next to each other, and Shadowflight was reminded of the first time she and Rockpool had lain together. It seemed so distant now…

"I…" Rockpool tried to get his courage.

"Yeah?

"Never mind."

**He almost told her! One more chapter! Wow, this is the longest story I've ever written. 21 chapters…**

**Review…and yes, it is 12: 00 AM…**


	21. Chapter 21: Burning Moon

_**Chapter 21, Burning Moon**_

_Shadowflight padded out of the_ warriors den. Nightwind's body had been placed in the center of camp, and she was glowing in moonlight. Shadowflight sat down right beside her. Other cats were already placed around. Sorreltail, Nightwind's mother, had her head on her mate, Brackenfur's, shoulder and was sobbing quietly. Nightwind's sister, Flamepaw, was dropping tears onto the ground, and her brother, Darkflame, was staring with his eyes huge.

Skyfeather was right beside Nightwind too, with Leafcloud at her side. Rockpool sat down near the back.

Seapaw sat down beside Skypaw and the rest of the Clan slid out of their dens. They all came up to Nightwind and murmured something to her, then padded back.

Shadowflight looked at Seapaw, who looked a little sick, and very confused.

"Why are they saying goodbye to me?" Seapaw asked. Skyfeather stared down at her and made a weird face. "This isn't time for

dumb jokes," she muttered.

But Shadowflight was sure Seapaw hadn't told a joke. Her face had a seriousness on it that made Shadowflight queasy.

She turned her attention back to Nightwind. The black warrior's eyes were slightly open, but glazed. Her fur was cold.

She looked away to avoid tears. Ravenstar came up and muttered something to Nightwind. Shadowflight stood up and padded away from the body of her friend.

A few moments later Leafcloud and Skyfeather walked toward her.

"Shadowflight? Are you okay?"

"No," Shadowflight murmured, "I haven't been okay since I had that…experience."

"What experience?" Leafcloud asked.

"All of it. Just the essence of Mudpaw makes me angry."

Both cats nodded. Skyfeather looked at Shadowflight. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to do what life brings me. Even if it means having you two die, even if it means having me die."

**The End**

**Well, not much to say. I hope you liked the story. And -dun, dun duuun!- the sequel is called The Search for Nightwind. (As I already said…)**

**But I will only send it out after I get 55 reviews. And whoever reviews first gets Shalepaw's and Flamepaw's warrior names. ( as if anyone cares about those…)**

**Remember, The Search for Nightwind!**


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